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13 final year SHS students in 4 schools test COVID-19 positive
Thirteen final year students in senior high schools in the country have tested positive for the global pandemic, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) few days after returning to school, the Ministry of Education has confirmed.
The cases were recorded in the Greater Accra and the Central Regions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Education, in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, confirmed that six students at the Accra Girls Senior High School tested positive. In addition, a teacher at the school together with his wife had also tested positive for the COVID-19.
Two other students from Odorgonor SHS equally tested positive for the disease in Accra.
In the Ashanti Region, three students at the Konongo Wesley SHS had tested positive for the COVID-19.
Meanwhile in the Central Region, the Mfantsipim School recorded two confirmed cases of the COVID-19, the Deputy Minister said, bringing the total number of students who have tested positive for the COVID-19 to 13.
According to the Deputy Minister, the students had been isolated and their parents had been informed to ensure it brings down the anxiety.
According to Dr Adutwum, 648 contacts tracing had been done and the people had been isolated, with a number of them tested by the Ghana Health Service.
He said counsellors had been provided at the Accra Girls Senior High School to support them psychologically.
“In the midst of all the anxiety, it is difficult for students to even learn, but counsellors are on sight now, looking at ways that they can help the students to recompose themselves and begin to take a look at the preparation that is ahead of them,” Dr Adutwum said.
“Everything possible is being done to make sure the safety of the children are protected,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a joint statement issued by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said a team of 200 personnel, drawn from the two institutions, regional and district directorates of education had been spread all over the country and were closely monitoring the situation.
The statement signed by Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, Director General of the GES and Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Director-General, GHS, assured all health institutions to which senior high schools had been mapped with health facilities to ensure that any suspected cases were promptly dealt with in accordance with the laid-down protocols.
It noted that school heads and selected school staff had been trained, and would continue to receive further training and support on Covid-19 issues and management, adding that all schools had been provided with the necessary logistics needed to fight this pandemic, including Veronica buckets, sanitisers, face masks, tissue paper and the schools have been disinfected as well.
“If any student is affected, the parent will be notified and given the opportunity to visit,” it stated.
Source: Ghanaian Times
News
Minister of Health appeals to Tamale Teaching Hospital striking doctors
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has appealed to the striking doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to calll off the suspension and come to the negotiation table.
However, he refused to apologise as demanded by the striking doctors.
The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.
This follows an unannounced visit to the hospital by the Minister on Tuesday.
The Minister made the appeal when addressing the media in Accra on Today, April 24 2025.
According to him, dialogue is the only way out to resolve the issue, adding that he was ready collaborate with them.
“I am prepared for us to come around the table and discuss whatever we need to discuss,” Mr Akandoh said.
“My humble appeal to my wonderful medical doctors and health professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital is that I am the first person to take care of your interests. Therefore, let’s call off the strike and let’s all regroup and strategise going forward,” he concluded.
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Health Minister donates medical equipment to Tamale Teaching Hospital, pledges commitment to reforms
The Minister for Health Kwabena Miintah Akandoh has reiterated government’s commitment to address long-standing challenges in the health sector, describing the health system as one that requires urgent reform and collective responsibility.
He made these remarks during a donation of some essential medical equipment and supplies to the Tamale Teaching Hospital on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
The donation included a wide range of equipment such as ECG machines, ICU ventilators, cardiac monitors, anesthesia machines, infant incubators, and essential
Consumables amounting to about 35 items.
Among the items highlighted were
Emergency Health Equipment (EHE) sets, nebulizer sets, and medical-grade towels.
The Health Minister acknowledged the difficult working conditions health professionals continue to endure and emphasized that government efforts alone would not be enough to resolve systemic issues.
He called for unity across the health sector and urged all stakeholders, including medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, to work together to ensure that the country’s limited resources are used efficiently.
He noted that the wellbeing of the ordinary Ghanaian should be central to healthcare delivery, cautioning against practices that marginalize the underprivileged due to resource scarcity. According to him, every Ghanaian life is valuable, and the system must reflect that belief in both policy and practice.
Mr.Akandoh stressed that his leadership approach is rooted in humility, collaboration, and respect for all health workers. While acknowledging that change may come with challenges, he maintained that cooperation is key to achieving lasting improvements in the sector.
The Minister pleaded with health professionals in the Tamale Teaching Hospital to call off the strike and regroup to strategize on more effective ways to address their concerns through dialogue and collaboration with relevant authorities.
The donation to the Tamale Teaching Hospital forms part of a broader national initiative to modernize medical infrastructure and enhance service delivery in Ghana’s healthcare.
