The family of a 17-year-old student at St. Monica Senior High School has accused the school authorities of negligence following the tragic events that led to the untimely death of their relative. The incident was reported in an article published by the Chronicles newspaper on May 29, 2023.
The deceased student, identified as Patience Amanyi or Maame Sakyiwaa, was laid to rest in Obuasi, located in the Ashanti Region, over the weekend.
According to the newspaper report, Maame Sakyiwaa, who was studying General Arts, had been unwell for a while. Despite her efforts to obtain permission to seek medical attention outside the school, her requests were allegedly ignored by the school authorities. Instead, she was advised to visit the school’s sick bay, which proved inadequate for her condition.
The article further states that the family received the news of her passing only a few hours after she had contacted her mother to request her Ghana Card details.
Richard Monnie, a cousin of Maame Sakyiwaa, expressed the family’s confusion and raised concerns about her sudden demise.
As per the newspaper, Monnie called the mother of the deceased on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, around 17:00 hours, seeking information related to her Ghana Card for a registration exercise. Shortly after the call, the family received another call informing them of Maame Sakyiwaa’s tragic passing. Monnie suspects that the person who made the call was not his cousin and believes that she had already passed away before the conversation took place.
“We are certain that our relative died long before the call came through, and the person who called was not Maame Sakyiwaa. It was someone speaking on her behalf because we were told she visited the school sick bay on Saturday, May 20, 2023, and went to church on Sunday. However, on Monday, May 22, 2023, when she went to class, she was unable to sit upright and kept her head on the table throughout the day. According to the information available to us, Maame Sakyiwaa was kept at the school sick bay without receiving hospital attention,” Monnie stated.
The deceased’s cousin questioned the school’s lack of communication with the family regarding Maame Sakyiwaa’s deteriorating health condition and expressed concerns about the decision-making process.
Monnie also recounted an incident from the previous month when Maame Sakyiwaa was delayed at home for two days after the school reopened. Upon her arrival, she was denied entry to the dormitory and forced to sleep outdoors for two days.
Furthermore, Monnie revealed that the family has been assured by the school authorities that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter.
The Public Relations Officer at the Ashanti Regional Education Office has reportedly urged the deceased’s family to remain patient while awaiting the outcome of the inquiry.
