56 SHS, nursing training students in Western Region test positive for COVID-19

Six Senior High Schools and one nursing training college in the Western Region have recorded a total of 56 COVID-19 cases.

This was disclosed to Citi News by the Western Regional Director of Health, Dr. Jacob Mahama.

According to him, 309 samples were picked from the seven institutions, which included the Asankragwa Nursing and Midwifery Training School, for testing.

Check This Out: JUST IN: GES opens recruitment for 2017 and 2018 Unposted Teachers from Colleges of Education – APPLY HERE

He noted that 56 of the samples came out positive for COVID-19 adding that 139 others are currently pending testing.

“As at now, we have 309 samples take from six Senior High Schools and the Asankragwa Nursing and Midwifery Training School. They have positive cases that amount to 56 positive cases. 149 are negatives and 139 are still pending. The school with the largest positives is Nsei SHS which has 26 positives out of 78 samples taken there. Archbishop Porter Girls has 2 positives, Adiembra (2), St. John’s (1), Ahantaman (1), Shama SHS (18) and Asankragwa Nursing and Midwifery Training School (6). What we did was that we picked the contacts and samples to the laboratory. We are yet to hear anything about disinfection of these schools,“ he said.

Check This Out:  COVID-19: Call for Re-Closure of Schools illogical and Misplaced – ATAG

On the overall samples awaiting testing in the region, Dr. Jacob Mahama told Citi News that the situation is disturbing as the region has 4,095 pending out of 14,000 total samples taken.

“As a region, we have taken 14,000 samples and sent all to the laboratory. 8,695 are negative, 2,218 are positive and 4,095 are still pending. As you know, we run out of reagents as a country and the reagents are in and they are currently doing the distribution to the various laboratories. As I speak, my people have been given an order to bring their request which was sent yesterday and they are waiting to be called to go for theirs.”

On claims that some samples had been destroyed due to inadequate storage capacity, the Western Regional Director said he was not aware of such situation but said that could only happen in the districts and not the metropolis.

He said the Takoradi Veterinary Laboratory which is currently doing 150 samples a day instead of 300 can finish the pending samples within 10 days when it receives reagents.

“I’m not aware of samples that have gone bad. Not in our labs, maybe in the districts. As long as they are in the refrigerator, it cannot go bad or expire. All that we know is that our fridges are full. What they do now is that they send some of the samples to KCCR or Accra. For instance, the samples we are taking from the SHS are sent straight to Accra for the test. If we get the reagents and more staff, they can reduce the 4,000 backlogs to an appreciable minimum within 10 days.”

Check This Out:  JUST IN: NPP National Youth Organizer sends 2020 campaign to SHS Campuses


SEND US YOUR STORIES FOR PUBLICATION VIA WHATSAPP NUMBER 0506440219

Get the Ghana Education Service New Standard – Based Scheme of Learning (SOL) HERE

Get the Ghana Education Service New Standard – Based Curriculum HERE

Get the  WAEC Marking Schemes HERE

Get the NaCCA/GES Standard -Based Lesson Plans HERE

Get the WAEC BECE, WASSCE, NTC Licensure Exam and Teachers’ Promotion Exam Past Questions HERE


Discover more from EducationGhana

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Previous articleFact-Checker: Buaben Asamoa’s PISA test claim against Jane Naana false
Next articleE/R: Two SHS final year students give birth, others pregnant
Ellis Ferdinand
Ellis Ferdinand is a Journalist, Blogger and Founder of Ellis Multimedia, a parent company of EducationGhana.org, an Online Education News Blog, PoliticsGhana.com and GhanaNaija.net.Ellis Ferdinand is a Graduate of Accra College of Education and the University of Cape Coast, where he obtained a Diploma In Basic Education and a Bachelor of Education in Accounting. He is currently Reading his Master of Philosophy in Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies at the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana.Ellis Ferdinand won Blogger of the Year at the 2018 National Students’ Awards and was also adjudged 14th Best Ghanain Blogger in 2018 among the Top 50 Ghanaian Bloggers of 2018.He introduced the Concept of Education Blogging in Ghana in 2014 with his famous blog EducationGhana.net. now EducationGhana.orgHis Blog won Best Media Promoting Education in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively, an Award organized by Neogenics Education Consult.In 2019, He adjudged the Most Promising West African Blogger of the Year in Nigeria. He won Writer of the Year at the 2021 EDUCOM AWARDS

What's your take on this Latest Development?