Ghana National College Student Ruby Teiko Dies After Alleged Delay in Asthma Emergency

• A first-year student at Ghana National College died after collapsing during a dormitory inspection at Elsie Dadzie Hall
• The teenager complained of breathing difficulties twice while the inspection was ongoing, but her family claims staff told her to wait
• Ruby was eventually rushed to Cape Coast Government Hospital by taxi, where she did not survive

A first-year student at Ghana National College, Ruby Teiko, has died following a medical emergency that her family says was not attended to promptly while a dormitory inspection was underway at Elsie Dadzie Hall.

Ruby, who had a known history of asthma, reportedly complained of difficulty breathing on two separate occasions during the inspection.

According to her family, the housemistress on duty and a second staff member told her to wait until the exercise was finished before she could receive any form of assistance.

GhanaWeb reported that her condition deteriorated shortly after the complaints were dismissed, and she collapsed. School personnel then transported her by taxi to Cape Coast Government Hospital. Ruby did not survive.

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The family's account raises serious concerns about how the student's distress was handled, particularly given that her asthma was an established medical condition.

The decision to defer care until the dormitory inspection concluded has become the central point of contention, with relatives questioning why a visibly unwell student was not given immediate attention.

Family Raises Concerns Over School's Response

No official statement from Ghana National College or the Ghana Education Service had been released addressing the specific allegations at the time of publication.

The circumstances under which Ruby was eventually taken to hospital, and the condition she was in when she arrived, remain subjects of concern for her family.

The case has drawn attention to the broader question of how schools respond to health emergencies and whether adequate protocols are in place to ensure students with pre-existing conditions receive timely medical care.

Past SHS deaths from alleged negligence

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In 2024, the parents of a student at Akim Sweduro Senior High School blamed the management of the school for the death of their son.

The parents accused the school of not allowing their son to leave school for medical attention.

This report came as the police Criminal Investigations Department investigated the death of a 16-year-old student of the Aburi Girls Senior High School.

The student, Stacey Okyere, who had complained of severe stomach pains, passed away last week.

Some reports say the school nurse accused the girl of feigning illness.

Kingsley Okyere, the girl’s father, questioned the inability of the school to take his daughter to a hospital.

Law student dies at Cape Coast health facility

YEN.com.gh reported that a 19-year-old second-year law student at the University of Ghana died in Cape Coast after suspected medical negligence.

The mother of the deceased said she had taken her asthmatic son to the Ewim Polyclinic to be treated for an asthma attack.

She alleged that the medical staff administered an injection instead of the expected nebuliser treatment.

Source: YEN.com.gh