Annandale school mystery illness: Overflowing septic tank likely health threat

Guyana Chronicle
December 1, 2006

Related Links: Articles on schools
Letters Menu Archival Menu

AN OVERFLOWING septic tank has been identified as a possible health threat at the Annandale Secondary School, moving the regional administration to order emergency works to correct the situation.

During the latter part of last week, several students from the East Coast Demerara school were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) complaining of aches and pains in different parts of the body.

Suspicions of what caused the mystery illness led to the demolition of a new controversial canteen in the school compound Wednesday.

The Education Ministry said doctors found nothing medically wrong with the children and parents of some of the affected students demanded the canteen be demolished because it was built on the old graves of Dutchmen.

Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) Chairman, Mr. Clement Corlette, told reporters yesterday that some $500,000 has been budgeted for emergency work at the school.

He said the school’s overflowing septic tank resulted in several pools of sewerage water under the building and in areas in the compound.

He added that there was no drainage system to get the water out. As such, a drainage system would be developed and the areas where there was a build up of water from the sewerage would be filled with sand or other material.

The school has been closed and classes will resume when the clean up exercise is completed.

Temporarily, the children are being housed in the Annandale and Lusignan primary schools.