School’s mess facility condemned

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BUIEBI High School in Imbonggu, Southern Highlands, is likely to face temporary closure for failing to maintain proper kitchen and messing facilities, a health officer says.
Health promotion programme manager and provincial environmental health officer Francis Wata criticised the school for failing to improve the facility, saying students’ health were at risk.
Buiebi is the first high school to be established in the district.
“Poor water, sanitation and hygiene standards are also contributing factors towards an imminent typhoid outbreak within the student population.
“A report will be compiled for the closure of the school as students face health risks from further typhoid outbreak and illnesses that can kill students if not addressed in the long term,” he said.
He said students blood specimens were collected to confirm the cause of the prevailing diarrheal disease.
Wata said if the test confirms positive typhoid case, then a closure notice will be issued and the school instructed to fix the kitchen facility and commission new mess constructed.
He said it was sad seeing students using pit latrines and contaminated water supply source feeding the school mess and kitchen.
“There are many schools in the country that are in the similar situations.
“For our students to stay healthy and focus on their studies, it is important to improve the nutritional levels of school meals but this has always been undermined by the lack of proper kitchen facilities.”