Let’s focus on health care in our schools

Finally, it has emerged that the deaths that have occurred so far in Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) were as a result of Influenza Type A H1N1. The Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, said in a media brief that 12 out of the 19 cases had tested positive for the influenza .

This is a very traumatic experience for parents who have lost their children, teachers who have lost dear students and students who have lost precious friends and classmates. But as we sympathise with those who have lost such loved ones, the issue of health, especially in our schools, comes into sharp focus.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a ratio of one nurse to 1,000 patients. And in the 2015 annual progress report of the status of the implementation of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), which spans 2014 to 2017, published by the National Development Planning Commission, Ghana’s nurse to patient ratio was 1:739. This showed that Ghana has made some tremendous strides as far as healthcare delivery is concerned.

However, after all these post-independence years, the country has not thought of a comprehensive health delivery system in our schools and colleges. Apart from few of our traditional universities that have hospitals because they were part of their plan and infrastructure, others that are springing up now do not have such facilities. The situation is worse when it comes to the senior high schools (SHSs) and the colleges.

Although KUMACA had an infirmary manned by a qualified senior nurse, it may not be equipped to deal with situations of this nature.

It is common knowledge that in most schools and colleges, the health of students is in the hands of a fellow student who knows little or nothing about drug administration. Sometimes, teachers, with their professional knowledge of improvisation, look for students whose parents are doctors, pharmacists or nurses and trust the responsibility of students’ health care on them with the designation as health prefects. Most times these health prefects lose a great deal of lessons as they are often called out of class to cater for their sick mates.

It is a fact that health care is variable in Ghana, but the Daily Graphic thinks that if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health, then health care in our schools and colleges should be looked at critically. Most of our senior high schools have a population above a thousand. We thus cannot fathom why that number of the youth should be left without primary health care.

We appeal to the Ministries of Education and Health to see health care in our schools as an urgent national issue and address the challenges to ensure that each school has a health post or clinic properly equipped and manned by well-qualified personnel. This is not something we cannot do as a country.
Perhaps the KUMACA deaths are a warning signal and the earlier we got down to work, the better for our country.