Bed bugs forced Koforidua SECTECH students to sleep in dining hall – Headmaster

Students of Koforidua Senior High Technical School (SECTECH) are occasionally forced by bed bug infestation to sleep in the school’s dining hall, the headmaster, Samuel Prince Folley has revealed.

He said with the high incidence of bed bug infestation, students found it extremely difficult to sleep, especially at night, adding that the situation was also having a toll on their academic work.

Mr Gyamfi made the revelation when a team from Zoomlion Ghana Limited fumigated and disinfected senior high schools in the Eastern Region on Thursday

The exercise formed part of efforts by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to rid SHSs in the country of bed bugs and to also help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic when schools resume for academic work.

About 14 SHSs including the Koforidua Senior High Technical School, benefited from the disinfection and fumigation exercise on the first day.

The others were Oyoko Methodist SHS, Universal SHS, Oti Boateng SHS, SDA SHS, Liberty Specialist Institute, Hyundai Koica Technical Institute, Pope John SHS, Ghana SHS, New Juaben SHS, Moses Accountancy SHS, New Juaben College of Commerce, School For Deaf and Pentecost SHS.

Aside the bed bug infestation at Koforidua SECTECH, Mr Folley indicated that his school was also grappling rodents.

He, therefore, commended the GES and Zoomlion Ghana Limited for the initiative which he noted would help rid the school of bed bugs.

On post-Covid-19, the headmaster disclosed that the school has bought a number of Veronica buckets, soaps and alcohol-based hand sanitisers to ensure both students and staff observe the necessary protocols.



He said these will be placed at vantage points to enable the students use as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus.

However, he admitted that it will be difficult for the students to observe social/physical distancing protocols, attributing that to high student population and the lack of adequate dormitories.

At the Pentecost Senior High School, the Headmaster, Mr Peter Atta Gyamfi, described the exercise as ‘timely,’ adding that it will help get rid of bed bugs from the school.

He, therefore, urged the GES to fumigate SHSs periodically.

He stated that the coronavirus pandemic has affected students, particularly those in their final year. That notwithstanding, he was hopeful that things would return to normalcy for academic work to continue.

For his part, the Headmaster of Oyoko Methodist SHS, Mr Frank Nkum Eyiah, indicated that his administration has put in place a plan that will adequately prepare, especially the final year students, for their examinations.

A similar package, he added, will be made available to cater for SHS 1 and SHS 2 students respectively, to help them catch up for what they have lost over the period.