General News of Wednesday, 15 August 2001

Source: GNA

"Investigate my daughter's death" - Police Inspector

Police Inspector Ben Adu-Asamoah of the Asokwa Police in Kumasi has appealed to the Minister of Education to probe the death of his 16-year-old daughter at the Mfantsiman Girls School, Saltpond.

He said while the school authorities want him to believe that his daughter Magdalene Adobea Adu-Asamoah died mysteriously, Inspector Adu-Asamoah insists that she was denied proper medical attention due to negligence and the unnecessary strict policies of the school.

Adobea's father who made the appeal through the Ghana News Agency at Tema said the school authorities told the family that Adobea collapsed and died mysteriously soon after praying for a colleague who complained of illness while they were revising for the end of year examinations last month.

After praying Adobea, a form two student was said to have gone out to vomit, after which she bent down and wrote a note that "I cannot breathe."

She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Cape Coast Central Hospital.

Inspector Adu-Asamoah said post mortem examination conducted at the Police

Hospital in Accra attributed the death to "acute gastritis".

This could have been avoided if his daughter had been allowed to go to hospital when she sought permission to do so, he said.

He said his daughter's personal diary indicated that she had complained of illness since June 23, this year and sought permission to go home but was rather admitted at the school's sport hall, which also serves as an infirmary.

Adobea's mother, Police Inspector Juliana Asantewa Siaw, said she was surprised when the Headmistress invited her and took her to the Cape Coast mortuary to show her the body.

"It was boldly written on the body, "brought in dead" and "I was visibly shaken by the sight of my daughter's corpse."

Attempt to get the school authorities to comment have proved futile since no one answers the telephones.