The family of 16-year-old Stacy Okyere, a Form 1 student at Aburi Girls Senior High School, is demanding an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding her sudden death on February 4.

Stacy's father, Kingsley Okyere, emphatically states, "My daughter has no health issue," as he accuses the school of negligence and demands answers regarding the delayed response that may have contributed to her untimely demise.

Stacy, who had only been at the school for a month, fell ill around noon, according to her father, but the family was only informed at 8 pm to come and take her to the hospital.

Mr. Okyere expressed frustration at the school's handling of the situation, stating that immediate measures should have been taken to ensure his daughter's well-being.

Upon reaching the school, Mr. Okyere discovered his unconscious daughter lying on the floor, surrounded by her peers. Despite his frantic efforts to rush her to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in Mampong, Stacy was pronounced dead on arrival. The devastated father asserts that the school's delayed response contributed to his daughter's untimely death.

“You can even make enquiries at her former school; they will tell you that she rarely gets sick,” Mr. Okyere emphasized. He accuses the school of negligence and questions the purpose of the health insurance they provided when enrolling Stacy.

He believes the school indirectly killed his ward.

Education watchdog, Africa Education Watch's Executive Director, Kofi Asare, sees this incident as indicative of widespread deficiencies in health and safety facilities in schools. He points out the absence of resident nurses in many schools and the lack of clear guidelines on managing health issues from the Ghana Education Service (GES).

While the school's version of events is yet to be obtained, it has been revealed that parents at Aburi Girls have previously raised concerns about healthcare. Limited resources in the school clinic and a shortage of medication have forced the institution to refer most cases to the hospital, according to parents. The need for additional nurses has been a recurring issue.

As the family mourns the loss of their daughter, the call for an independent investigation intensifies, shedding light on potential flaws in the school's health and safety protocols.

Mr Okyere's added, “The school has killed my child, and when the issue happened, they had the guts to sit me down and tell me they will buy the coffin and provide an ambulance. If I didn’t have money, would I have brought my child to school in the first place?”