Meningitis Scare: Quarantined students, staff of Asasco discharged

All 65 students and staff of Asamankese Senior High School (ASASSCO) quarantined for meningitis surveillance by the West Akyem Municipal Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have been discharged.

They were put under surveillance following the death of a 17-year-old student of the school who died of meningitis on December 20, 2017.

Briefing Starr News on the latest development, the Municipal Health Director, Dr .Samuel Agyemang Boateng said the quarantined students and staff did not show any signs and symptoms of the disease after rigorous examination throughout the five-day period.

“They are all going home this morning after checking their morning temperature and taking their breakfast. They all recorded normal temperature throughout the period and no other suspected signs and symptoms,” he told Starr News’ Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah.

He added that the parents of the deceased student also did not show any signs of the disease including the pastor of the Prayer Camp where he visited before his demise.

The deceased, a boarding student from the Asamankese Township on Monday December 18 visited the Asamankese government hospital with fever and headache. He was treated and discharged and had been attending school from the house but returned to the Hospital again on Wednesday, December 20 with complaints of headache, stiff neck, fever and alter consciousness.

The Physician assistant immediately suspected meningitis hence performed lumbar puncture to obtain fluid from the spine and transported the sample to the Koforidua Regional Hospital laboratory where it was confirmed but the patient died few hours after.

The death brings to two the number of students who have died of meningitis this month in the region. The first casualty was recorded at Koforidua Secondary Technical School (SECTEC).

Thirteen persons have been confirmed dead this year in the region out of the 87 cases of meningitis recorded.

Emmanuel Sally, Eastern Regional Disease Control Officer told Starr News the fatalities recorded can be largely attributed to late reporting of cases to health facilities after symptoms observed.