Bedbugs force Koforidua SECTECH students to sleep in dining hall

The Headmaster of the Koforidua Senior High Technical School (SECTECH), Mr Samuel Prince Folley, has revealed that bedbug infestation in the school sometimes compelled students to sleep in the school’s dining hall before the closure of schools on March 16 as a result of the COVID-19.

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

Mr Folley made the revelation during a fumigation and disinfection exercise in senior high schools (SHSs) in the Eastern Region last Thursday by Zoomlion Ghana Limited. 

Exercise

The exercise formed part of efforts by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to rid SHSs in the country of bedbugs, and to also help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic when students are called back.

About 14 SHSs were covered on the day, and they included the Oyoko Methodist SHS, Universal SHS, Oti Boateng SHS, SDA SHS, Liberty Specialist Institute, Hyundai Koica Technical Institute and Pope John’s SHS.

The rest are Ghana SHS, New Juaben SHS, Moses Accountancy SHS, New Juaben College of Commerce, School For the Deaf and the Pentecost SHS.

Rodents

Apart from the issue of bedbugs, Mr Folley indicated that his school was also grappling with how to deal with rodents.

Against that backdrop, he commended the GES and Zoomlion Ghana Limited for the initiative.

He was upbeat that the exercise would help rid the school of bedbugs.

On post-COVID-19, the headmaster of SECTECH disclosed that the school had bought a number of Veronica buckets, soaps and alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

Points

Mr Folley said they would be placed at vantage points to for the students to use as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus.

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

At the Pentecost SHS, the Headmaster, Mr Peter Atta Gyamfi, described the exercise as ‘timely,’ adding that it would help get rid of bedbugs from the school.

He, therefore, urged the GES to ensure that fumigation of SHSs was periodically done.

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

Preparations

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

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