Swine flu hits Achimota school

The Achimota School has reported the outbreak of H1N1 Flu otherwise known as the ‘Swine Flu’.

The Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate confirmed the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) in an interview with Asempa News.

The Directorate says the school is strictly monitoring events in the school even though the situation is not that alarming.

The Schedule Officer at the Directorate, Mr. O. Wula in an interview with Asempa News said that about three cases have been sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical and Scientific Research for tests.

Mr. Wula has however assured parents whose wards are in the school that, the situation is under control.

Meanwhile some anxious parents who spoke to Asempa News on condition of anonymity blamed authorities of the Achimota School for trying to put a lid on the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza in the School.

They are demanding that their wards be released to come home and see their private doctors since they suspect the treatment being administered to them at the school may not cure the disease.

Meanwhile, the Chief Research Scientist at the Noguchi, Kofi Boni, also confirmed that Noguchi has received samples from Achimota School for examination.

In a related development, Mr. Boni said Noguchi has finished the tests conducted on blood samples taken from over 200 pupils from the Tema Parents School, some of whom he said tested positive.

Meanwhile Human Rights advocate, Nana Oye Lithur has called for legal action to be taken against teachers of Achimota Basic School who she accuses of harbouring children of the school after detecting the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) in the school.

According to her, parents have the right to know the health status of their children, yet when the disease was detected, school authorities did not inform the parents, but rather brought in doctors to come and educate the children on the disease.

Speaking in an interview with Asempa News, Nana Lithur said bringing doctors to diagnose and educate the children was in the right direction, but the school authorities should have informed the parents of the children.