KUMACA to be closed down by Saturday – Dep. Education Minister

Government says it is likely the Kumasi Academy Senior High School will be closed down in the next three days.

Ultimate FM’s Isaac Bediako Justice reports that the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Senior High Technical and Vocational schools Dr. Yaw Adu-Twum revealed this plan to journalists on his visit to the school.

Early on Wednesday, the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensa disclosed in a press briefing that it might take a longer time to unravel the cause of the mysterious deaths of the six students who died in the school over the past week.

Mr Osei Mensah explained that the health experts are going beyond the autopsy reports to begin taking food, water and environmental samples for testing.

“They are going to look at all the dormitories and the classrooms. They will examine the kitchen, dining hall and the water the students have been taking. They will scan the whole environment and even beyond the wall of the school because we realized that the place is damp and we have all sorts of water bodies around the school,” he outlined.

He was however not certain about any intended closure of the school but noted that the health experts will be reviewing the situation on Saturday to determine whether it will be prudent to close down the school.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Emmanuel Tinkorang has indicated that the students are responding to treatment after receiving the antibacterial shots.

He indicates that nineteen students are still on admission with no further deaths recorded.

Isaac Badiako Justice also reports that parents who sent their children home, begun returning to the school to take their shots as early as 7:am.

He added that there is a new directive for the mild antibiotic shots to be administered to all relatives who had come into contact with the students as well as teaching and non teaching staff and their families living on campus.