The demise of a seventeen-year old student of St. Monica’s Senior High School at Asante Mampong has raised eyebrows among her family members.
The bereaved family is accusing the authorities of the Anglican institution of negligence, which led to the demise of their relative, but attempts are being made to cover-up the issue. The deceased student, who was buried over the week-end in Obuasi, in the Ashanti Region, has been identified as Patience Amanyi (Maame Sakyiwaa).
Information available to The Chronicle indicate that Maame Sakyiwaa, a General Arts student, was indisposed for some time, but several attempts by the student to acquire an exeat to go home for medical attention were allegedly ignored by the school authorities.
She was rather directed to seek medical attention at the school’s sick bay, which could not handle her illness. Sources have it that the family was informed about the demise of the lady a few hours after she (Maame Sakyiwaa) called her mother for details on her Ghana card.
Richard Monnie, who is the cousin of the deceased Maame Sakyiwaa, told The Chronicle that the family was flummoxed about how Maame Sakyiwaa passed away.
According to Monnie, on Tuesday May 23, 2023, around 17:00 hours, the mother of the deceased had a call from her daughter, where the deceased asked for details on her Ghana card for a registration exercise , which the mother provided, only to be called again that Maame Sakyiwaa had passed away.
Monnie said the family suspect that the person who called Maame Sakyiwaa’s mother’s phone was not his cousin, and that Maame Sakyiwaa died before the staged call.
“We are very much sure that our relative died long before the call came through, and the person who called was not Maame Sakyiwaa. It was someone who spoke on her behalf, because we are told she managed and visited the sick bay of the school on Saturday 20 May, 2023 and went to Church on Sunday, but on Monday 22 May, 2023 when she went to class she could not sit upright , putting her head on the table throughout the day.
“Per information available to us, Maame Sakyiwaa was kept at the school sick bay without hospital attention,” Monnie alleged.
According to Monnie, during the time that Maame Sakyiwaa was off colour, the school never informed the family about the development and questioned the motive behind the decision.
According to him, when the school reopened last month, Maame Sakyiwaa delayed at home for two days and could not report to school on the day of re-opening, and that when she reported in school the authorities did not allow her entry to the dormitory. He alleged that their relative, who he claimed died of malaria, slept outside for two days.
When asked about the next line of action the family intended taking, he disclosed that the educational authorities had calmed the family down, assuring them of speedy investigations into the case.
When The Chronicle contacted the Ashanti Regional Education Directorate, Mr. Henry Antwima, the Public Relations Officer, confirmed the case to this paper. According to him, they had opened investigations into the case, and that at the appropriate time they would inform the public about the outcome of their findings.
