Suspected food poisoning incident affects over 50 students at GHANASS

A suspected case of food poisoning has caused more than 50 students of the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASS) at Koforidua in the Eastern Region to be hospitalised.

The students, both male and female, were rushed to the St. Joseph’s Hospital on Monday following complains of stomach aches after eating ‘waakye’ from the school’s canteen on Sunday.

Explaining the incident in an interview with Citi FM, one of the affected students stated, “I bought waakye at the bush canteen and in the evening on Sunday, I started running, others who also ate at the dining hall also started complaining of tummy ache so we were rushed here".

Some parents who got wind of the incident rushed to hospital to check on their wards.


The situation has however been brought under control with some of the affected having been discharged.

"A lot of students were rushed here from Sunday evening and Monday with complaints about stomach aches, clinical research done on them indicated they had diarrhoea so we quickly administered treatment and medication and some are on admission while others have been treated and discharged”, Medical Director in charge of the hospital, Dr David Kupualor stated.

While the hospital awaits for the results of tests conducted to ascertain the cause of the many incidents of diarrhoea, the school's authorities have shut down the canteen.

“Initially, we thought it was the normal students complaint, but upon further interactions, some students said they bought some food from the school’s canteen.

There is a canteen in the school, but it is not managed by school authorities, so the school management met and we have closed down the canteen as part of investigations", an Assistant Headmaster of the school, Frederick Kwaku Owusu stated.

He called for calm among parents and assured that their wards are in safe hands.