Kumawu (Ash), Feb 13, GNA - Mr Dominic Dobbin, Sekyere East District Director of Health Services, has described as false allegations by some people that five school children died in the Kumawu area as a result of a de-worming exercise going on in the area. He said there was no clinical sign detected as a reaction to the drug and that parents and guardians should not panic over this false information.

Mr Dobbin was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Kumawu on Monday in reaction to false alarms raised by some people that five school children died while many others were vomiting and complaining of stomach pains after taking the drug.

He said information available at the health centre revealed that a small number of the pupil came to the facility and reported of diarrhoea and were given ORS and discharged, stressing that none of them even complained of any stomach pains and said diarrhoea was normal reaction to the de-wormer.

Mr Dobbin said since the de-worming exercise was a UNICEF programme in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), it would have a serious impact on the image of the country and also deter many parents from patronising the next national polio immunisation exercise. 13 Feb 07