1,302 SHS students in Tema complained of headaches in 2019

One thousand, three hundred and two senior high school students in the Tema Metropolis reported sick with headaches at the various school bays in 2019.

Out of the figure, Our Lady of Mercy (OLAM) SHS topped the list with 403, followed by 362 from Chemu SHS, 237 from Tema Technical Institute, 207 from Tema Presbyterian SHS and 95 cases received at Tema Methodist Day SHS (MEDASS).

Mrs Grace Eddy Amewu, Adolescent Focal Person at the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, revealing this to the Ghana News Agency, said the figure did not include that of the Tema Senior High which was now in the Tema West Municipality.

Mrs Amewu said stomach pains came next to the headaches reported at the sick bays with a total of 774 cases out of which OLAM topped again 366 reports.

Other sicknesses handled by health providers in the schools includes cough and cold, body pains, cuts, diarrhoea, eye pains, boil, dizziness, menstrual pains, asthmatic attack and toothache.

Others were vagina discharges, substance abuse, malaria, chest pain, swollen legs, neck pains and three fainting cases.

She said the nurses at the sickbays often managed minor ailments, provided a minimum package of services, and managed adolescent health clubs in the schools as well as referred students to major nearby hospitals.

She stated that those who reported with headaches were asked to identify the triggers in a bid to avoid or minimize it adding that they were, in addition, asked to drink enough water, have adequate sleep, eat well, exercise daily and engage in healthy social activities and keep healthy relationships.

Mrs Amewu also stated that her outfit was collaborating with the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator for the Ghana Education Service in Tema to allocate dates for the health personnel to visit the schools and sensitize them on headaches.

She added that an ophthalmic nurse among the team would lead the sensitization talks after which students would be checked for refractive errors as that could also cause headaches.