Over 130 Students Collapsed At Ghana's Independence Day March Past
Over 130 pupils and security personnel collapsed across the country yesterday morning, while on parade for the celebration of Ghana’s 55th Independence Anniversary Celebration.
Fifty collapsed at Mandela Park in Ashaiman; 51 in Koforidua, 23 in Cape Coast, 13 in Tamale and four at Nsawam.
As at press time, reports coming in painted a gloomy picture about the parade.
Three out of the 50 who fainted at Ashaiman were said to be in critical condition and were sent to the Ashaiman Poly Clinic for medical attention.
The parade in Accra was fast tracked to avoid any calamity as a pupil had died last week in Ho during the parade rehearsal.
The incident occurred when schools within the Ashaiman Municipality paraded to mark the country’s 55 independence celebration in the area.
Some of the pupils collapsed 30 minutes after the march past which delayed for over three hours, and were rushed out for resuscitation by personnel from the Ghana Red Cross Society.
Mrs. Christian Amedume-Atiso of Mother Love Club of the Ghana Red Cross Society, who confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE at the parade ground, mentioned that the three in critical condition were an asthmatic patient and two students who were anaemic.
She said the rest were attended to and prevented from continuing with the procession, observing that although the children were told to eat before coming for the march past, “some ate little or nothing at all”.
Mrs. Amedume-Atiso noted that most of them collapsed because “they stood in the sun for so long, on empty belly”, adding that some were as a result of the “heavy boots they wore which made it very difficult for blood to circulate”.
She suggested the early start of the programme to prevent future occurrences since the late start of the ceremony under the hot sun might lead to a similar incident.
51 Collapse At Koforidua
Fifty-one persons, comprising school children and security personnel, participating in the 55th Independence Day Anniversary parade at the Koforidua Jacksons Park, collapsed at the parade grounds.
Out of the casualties, four who were in critical condition were referred to the Koforidua Regional Hospital while the rest were revived by the Red Cross.
This was announced by Kasawu Nartey, leader of the Red Cross Team which provided emergency health services at the parade grounds.
In a speech, the outgoing Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi, expressed regret about the poor results of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the region last year and blamed it on the quality of teachers in the classrooms, indiscipline among pupils, overcrowding and ineffective supervision. He appealed to all stakeholders in education to join forces to help change the situation for the better.
He expressed concern about the high rate of indiscipline in schools, resulting in gang rape, drug abuse, homosexuality and occultism and called for collective efforts to change the moral direction of the educational system.
He said the biometric registration exercise would start on March 24 and told students who were not yet 18 years not to allow themselves to be lured by some politicians to register and vote because when caught, they could be jailed.
Tamale Incident
A total of 13 persons including three security personnel collapsed during the 55th Independence Parade in Tamale on Tuesday.
Marcellinous Moaboy, who was in-charge of the National Service Ambulance, told the GNA that a policeman, a soldier and one Fire Service personnel collapsed during the parade and were treated.
The parade was attended by contingents from the Police, Military, Fire Service, Immigration, Prisons and students from the basic and second cycle institutions as well as the physically-challenged.