The School of Social Work of the Department of Social Welfare at Osu-Kaajaano has been closed down following an outbreak of cholera in the school.
Over 200 students of the school have been asked by the authorities of the institution to go home until further notice.
The school had reopened on Friday, August 11, 2014 for a sandwich programme, but just two days later, four students started experiencing serious symptoms of diarrhoea and were rushed to the La Polyclinic where they were diagnosed with cholera.
More cases of cholera
In the course of the week, five others showed similar symptoms and were also rushed to the hospital, where they were diagnosed with cholera.
Consequently, the school authorities had no option but to ask the students to go home.
The Principal of the school, Mr Daniel Nonah, confirmed this to the Daily Graphic in Accra on Sunday.
He said the last incident that prompted the closure of the school involved a breastfeeding child of one of the students who was diagnosed with cholera.
No other option than closure
“We had no other option than to close down the school, ask the students to go home and return in January 2015 to write their examination and continue with the programme,” Mr Nonah said.
He said the sandwich programme was usually organised from January to April every year and that examinations were usually written in August.
He said most of the students were workers who were non-resident.
The School of Social Work a diploma-awarding institute of the Department of Social Welfare, with the motto, ‘Service to the nation’, was founded in 1945.
Serious situation
When the Daily Graphic visited the school, only a security man was seen at post.
He confirmed that the situation was serious, so the students had to be asked to go back home.
Checks around the surroundings of the school showed some choked gutters that gave off very offensive adour while hordes of flies hovered around.
One female student who identified herself only as Mavis told the Daily Graphic that the school should be moved from the area because of the sanitation problem there.
BY: Victor Kwawukume
No comments:
Post a Comment