Deaths not due to meningitis, purely spiritual – KUMACA students

Some students of Kumasi Academy say they are taking the official cause of death of four of their mates with a pinch of salt. According to them, there is no truth in the autopsy report which cites meningitis as the cause of death.

Speaking to Akoma FM’s Antwi Boasiako on Wednesday, a group of students, who claimed they had to return to school due to the end-of-the examinations, said they are not satisfied with the results of the autopsy conducted. It is not meningitis, they said, it is spiritual.

They narrated how some of the deceased students had to complain of headaches and within a short period vomit blood prior to their deaths.

One of the school boys, who spoke on anonymity, said all the four students who died are from the same house. According to them, students of that house killed a snake which is said to be a river deity; thus exacting punishment by killing the students.

They expressed surprise how doctors had initially said they could not tell the cause of death but now claim it is meningitis. On Wednesday, at a press conference, the Ashanti Region Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, said a team of experts and professionals from the Ghana Health Service at the district, regional and national levels as well as “an experienced colleague” from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the School of Medical Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology proposed meningitis as the cause of the deaths.

Mr Osei Mensah said there were 26 suspected cases but since the death of the students, none has been recorded so far, at least since March 31. “We will continue to keep a close eye on the situation so that cases can be detected and managed appropriately,” he said.

‘No boarding’

The four students – one in Form 1 and three in Form 2 – died in a spate of one week. The students say they are not in a good mood to write the exams and would rather the exams were postponed to next term.

They said they will be attending a funeral of one of the deceased on Thursday, April 6, a situation which does not put them in a right state of mind for the terminal exams.

Some said the boarding facility should be shut down and they will opt for day from next term.