Food poisoning not cause of sickness of Juaben SHS students – GES

The Ghana Education Service (GES) says abdominal upset experienced by some female students of the Juaben senior high school in the Eastern Region is not the result of food poisoning.

Several students of the school were rushed to the St. Joseph Hospital last Friday in suspected cases food poisoning.

The students, largely females, were reported to have complained of severe stomach pains, while others collapsed in their dormitories.

The incident degenerated on Saturday leading to the hospitalisation of more students. Officials of the St. Joseph Hospital are reported to have turned away some of the students for lack of space.

It was later rumoured that food contamination was responsible for the incident, but the GES has dispelled the rumours.

The spokesperson for GES in the Region, Emmanuel Asiedu Acheampong said the Service sees the incident as more psychological than the result of food poisoning.

“For now there hasn’t been any report of food poisoning or report of an outbreak,” he noted.

He said the stomach pains may have been triggered by “fear and panic” since the students taken to the hospital are in stable condition.

Mr Asiedu Acheampong explained the male students would have experienced same if it had been food poisoning.

“They haven’t eaten anything that caused health problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, the school authorities have refused to comment on the development.

Joy News’ Kofi Siaw visited the school and reported the atmosphere is tense with campus security on high alert.

“When I got there I saw students being rushed to the hospital with some of them showing signs of vomiting,” he reported.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers