UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

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UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

Drop your comments

Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

The Health Ministry has confirmed that a viral infection, Swine Flu, H1N1, caused the death of four students at the Kumasi Academy School.
Out of 19 samples sent to the NOGUCHI Memorial Institute from the Kumasi Academy in the Ashanti Region, 12 tested positive for influenza type A, the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu has announced.

According to the Minister, reports on further tests were received confirming Influenza type-A H1N1 2009 [Otherwise known as Swine Flu], pandemic strain.
The tests became necessary following what many have called mysterious deaths involving four students of the school in the past week.

Several students are also on admission, whereas the whole student population have been administered with antibiotics as part of a prophylaxis.
Of the 32 cases on admission 27 had signs of fever, headaches, joint and body pains, coughs abnormal chest signs and auscultation.

«Acute respiratory infections likely cause of deaths«
The Health Minister also suggested that some of the deaths mat have been caused an outbreak of acute respiratory infections.
Based on findings on respiratory samples sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Mr. Agyemang-Manu said there was “an outbreak of an acute respiratory infection with severe presentations and some resulting in death.”

“Fortunately, the outbreaks are so far confined to a small area in Kumasi Academy. It hasn’t spread to the very nearest town where their school is located,” the Minister added.
It should be noted that the outright cause of death of the four students of the school and the hospitalization of 32 has yet to be fully confirmed.

«WHO’s notes on influenza«
There are three types of seasonal influenza viruses, types A, B, and C, but only influenza type A viruses are known to have caused pandemics.
Placed under the umbrella of seasonal influenza, the World Health Organisation notes that this virus is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, cough, headaches, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise, sore throat and a runny nose.

Most people are said to recover from the fever and other symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention but influenza can cause severe illness or death in people deemed high risk.
Pregnant women, children aged between six to 59 months, the elderly, individuals with specific chronic medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, asthma, and chronic heart or lung diseases, and health-care workers have the highest risk of contracting the virus, according to WHO.
Vaccination is said to be the most effective way to prevent the disease, even when circulating viruses may not exactly match the vaccine viruses.

«Swine Flu«
It’s an infection caused by a virus. It’s named for a virus that pigs can get. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. In 2009 a strain of swine flu called H1N1 infected many people around the world.
The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

There are antiviral medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. There is a vaccineavailable to protect against swine flu. You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by
Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.

Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
Staying home from work or school if you are sick.

«End of panic and uncertainty«
The discovery of the cause of death brings some relief to parents, especially since there is a vaccine to prevent further infections.
The Ministry of Health has recalled students who were earlier treatement with antibiotics based on suspictions that the deaths were caused by a bacteria and sent home.
So far forty four students have been infected with the virus in the school.

Credit : EducationGhana

NSS Boss; scheme sued by personnel over ‘compulsory’ insurance

NSS Boss Mustapha Ussif
Some disgruntled National Service personnel have sued the National Service Scheme and its Executive Director, Mustapha Ussif, over the GH¢ 15 compulsory insurance charges.
The personnel say the deduction from their allowance is unlawful and unreasonable.

They are therefore asking the court to compel the National Service Scheme to cease the deductions which took effect from November, 2017.

A lawyer for the aggrieved National Service Personnel, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, told Citi News “They [personnel] have not authorized anybody to enter into an insurance contract on their behalf. An insurance contract must have a policyholder who should enter into a contract with the insurance company [but this did not happen].”

“Where is the insurance policy? Where is the contract?” he questioned.
Some National Service personnel have been up in arms over the compulsory insurance policy, which they say has been imposed on them by the National Service Scheme headed by Ussif Mustapha.
The personnel argued that, the decision to have the insurance program, was not made by them, neither were they consulted before its implementation, hence deductions must not be made from their meager allowances compulsorily.

NSS personnel petition CHRAJ over compulsory insurance
Some National Service Personnel earlier this week petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), over the mandatory insurance package introduced for them by the National Service Secretariat.
According to them, the imposition of the insurance package infringes on their basic human rights since the decisions taken by the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), does not bind all service personnel.

Service personnel agreed to ‘compulsory’ insurance – NSS Boss
The National Service Scheme’s head, Mustapha Ussif, has denied suggestions that the compulsory insurance package meant for all service personnel in the country is being imposed on the personnel.

He insisted that the personnel backed the insurance package, and even pushed the management of the Scheme to implement it. He said the National Service Personnel Association of Ghana (NASPA), the group which represents service personnel across the country, decided unanimously at their Congress to back the policy.

The insurance package
The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.
This compulsory insurance package spearheaded by various insurance companies is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.
The claims vary from GHc 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation and GHS3,000 for cases of disability. As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.

NSS insurance meant to reward NPP financier – Kpessah Whyte
A former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Dr. Michael Kpessah-Whyte, had alleged that the compulsory insurance package is a venture to pay back a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) election campaign.

According to him, the insurance scheme may have been put together to reward the owner of a known insurance company, who supported the NPP’s campaign with GH¢1 million.
He is thus of the view that the policy is not in the interest of National Service persons, and that it constitutes “daylight robbery.”

NSS insurance scheme not a reward from NPP – GLICO
However, GLICO Life has denied allegations that its engagement with the NSS to provide an insurance package for National Service personnel, is a reward for the company because the owner was a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Managing Director of GLICO Life, Forkuo Kyei, in a statement to citifmonline.com said the allegations are unfounded as GLICO Life is part of five other companies offering the insurance package to the service personnel.

Credit: Jonas Nyabor«citifmonline

Admit WASSCE Students With Grade D7 And E8 Into Varsity - Prof

Reverend Professor Emmanuel Adow-Obeng has suggested that WASSCE students with grade D7 and E8 in the core subjects be allowed to enter the universities through an access course programme.

He said the only option left for students with those grades was to re-sit the examination thus losing almost a year and added that it was possible for private universities to mount access courses for these students.

Rev. Adow-Obeng, who is the president of the Presbyterian University College (PUC), explained that the access programmes could be done under the supervision of the mentor universities for a specific duration and then be admitted to a full university course.

Speaking at the 15th matriculation of the school at the Akropong campus, he noted that during the A-level times D and E grades qualified people to enter the university and added that “many therefore entered the university with these grades and so let’s consider it seriously”.

The ceremony saw the formal admission of 722 people into the various programmes on the five campuses at Okwahu, Asante-Akyem, Akuapem, Kumasi and Tema to pursue various undergraduate programmes.

Rev Adow-Obeng who is the board chair for the Ghana Broadcasting Corperation mentioned the relief tax given to the private universities as a step in the right direction and while thanking government for that, he also called for the extension of the Getfund for lecturers in the private universities for upgrading.

He announced that to facilitate teaching and learning in the school, the University in collaboration with Vodafone Ghana had issued modems each to the entire student population and each student would enjoy 1.5gigabyte data monthly throughout the year including vacations.
According to him, under this arrangement, there would not be any limitations to students’ access to the internet and advised the students to use the opportunity to research into additional files that would support their academic work.

He cautioned that the PUC was a Christian university and believed that faith in God was key to success and reminded the fresh students that the university’s anthem talked about “hard work, humility, perseverance, faithfulness, and commitment”, that they needed to uphold to build them up.

Source: GNA