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Annandale Secondary mystery illness… 12 other students hospitalised -school closed, doctors baffled
Twelve other students from the Annandale Secondary School were admitted to the Georgetown Hospital as a mystery ailment continues to cause panic at the East Coast Demerara institution, forcing its temporary closure.
CLOSED: the Annandale Secondary School ordered closed yesterday by the Education Ministry. Eleven of the students were admitted to the medical institution yesterday morning, while another was taken there by his parents late Wednesday night. This follows the admission of seven other students on Wednesday afternoon. School officials remained tightlipped about the incident, but a statement from the Ministry of Education last evening confirmed that the students were admitted to the Georgetown Hospital for observation. According to the Ministry's statement, investigations showed that at about 14:10 hours on Wednesday, seven students of the school complained of feeling unwell. They were accompanied by teachers to the Georgetown Public Hospital , where they were admitted. Two teachers stayed with the hospitalised children until 21:00 hrs, and were assured that the children were out of danger. The statement added that yesterday, other students of the school also reported of feeling unwell, and were also admitted to the same hospital. “The Minister of Education, Mr. Shaik Baksh, took prompt action and enquired from the hospital's Superintendent, Dr. Rambaran, about the condition of the students, and the reasons for them being unwell. Dr. Rambaran indicated that after examination by himself and Dr. Doobay, it was found that all the students were medically fit and nothing in their condition warranted treatment,” the statement said. Kaieteur News understands that some of the children have been discharged from the hospital, while the parents of at least two of them took their children away. According to the Ministry, Senior Education officials and teachers visited the students at the hospital today, and as a precautionary measure, classes were suspended yesterday. Regional Health officials also visited and inspected the school. “The Ministry would like to assure the parents and the general public that every effort is being made by the Ministry to ensure that thorough investigations are being done to find out the source of the problem and what exactly caused the students to feel unwell. Much more follow-up action will be taken,” the Ministry said. Pandemonium broke out at the school yesterday morning when more students began complaining of feeling unwell shortly after classes began. Bhagwandin, a member of the school's board of governors, told this newspaper that he had heard about the situation there on Wednesday, and had paid a visit to the school yesterday morning. He said that upon arrival at the school, he heard two students complaining of stomach pains, cramping, and shortness of breath. The man said that he immediately took them to the hospital. Among those admitted yesterday are Liloutie Rampersaud, Asheena Marks, Parbattie Motilall, Sema Rohit, Tishanie Seetaram, Chitranie Roopnarine, Dharmattie Narine, Geeta Budie, Richard Nandalall, Lisa Outram, Ramona Puran, and Tracy Amanda Prunsukh. “I started feeling sick yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. I had headaches and slight cramps. Today (Thursday) I started feeling dizzy in class, and I collapsed. When I regained consciousness, I was in the office. When I was in the bus, coming to the hospital, I fainted again. Yesterday the only thing I ate from the canteen was an egg ball, but today I didn't eat anything, because I collapse before break,” Liloutie Rampersaud told Kaieteur News. At first, it was believed that the children were victims of food poisoning, and doctors had taken blood samples for testing. But according to Bhagwandin, he is certain that it is not food or drink that caused the complaint. “The children had just come to school and had not bought or eaten anything from the sellers or the school's canteen,” Bhagwandin said. He was supported by some vendors in the school compound, who were forced to discontinue their businesses. One vendor said that the students began feeling unwell long before the 15-minute mid-morning break period. When this newspaper arrived at the hospital yesterday morning, four of the newly-stricken children were already being admitted. Several other parents stood around waiting after hearing that their children were on their way to the hospital with similar complains. Within minutes, a mini-bus, loaded with students from the school, pulled into the compound, and porters and other public-spirited persons rushed to assist in taking the children into the treatment room of the Accident and Emergency Unit. Some of the parents broke down in tears as the children, most of whom could not walk, were carried by wheelchair into the treatment room. All of the students were screaming, while some were clutching their stomachs and gasping for breath. Most of the victims were female students from Forms One to Five. Yesterday afternoon, at the hospital, one woman was praying for one of the victims, who had to be restrained by several persons. However, while some believe that it is a case of mass hysteria, some residents of Annandale believe that the ailment has a lot to do with the supernatural. Detectives from the East Coast of Demerara yesterday again interviewed teachers and other persons at the school. Also yesterday, beverage companies were frantically trying to ascertain what type of beverage the children had consumed.
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