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A section of parents whose wards are attending Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School in Takoradi have appealed to authorities of the school to close it down for at least three days so they can take their children home following the alleged food poisoning incident that rocked the school last Wednesday. According to the parents, the closure of the school will enable them take proper care of their children as the school�s authorities and the medical team continue with their investigations to find out what the cause of the alleged food poisoning was. This development came to light when the Board Members, staff and students of the school, together with a medical team from the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi, met with the parents and guardians of the girls to brief them on the new developments in the purported food poisoning episode that led to over 60 students being admitted at the hospital. However, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the school, J.K. Quayson, maintained a dissenting view that the students should remain in school since the situation is not alarming. He denied media reports that some students have died following the incident, adding that the school is very hygienic and that there is no cause for alarm. His assertion was corroborated by Dr. Linda Vanotoo, Western Regional Director of Health Services, who pointed out that until investigations are over, no one could establish whether the problem was a result of diarrhoea, cholera or food poisoning. She disclosed that out of about 100 students who were admitted at Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi and other health facilities in the metropolis, 24 are still on admission. Cephas Nani, a parent and the first person to speak during the open forum, indicated that since the medical team had not yet identified what actually brought about the problem, and did not know what would happen next when the students take in another meal, it would be prudent for the school�s authority to close it down for at least two to three days. He explained that this would offer an opportunity for the medical team to conduct a thorough investigation since samples of the food, as well as stool and urine of the students had been taken to the laboratory for examination. He also said it would also reduce the likelihood of the students contracting other diseases since some continued to show symptoms, indicating that they had not fully recovered. Another parent, Margaret Ntisor, also pleaded with the school�s authorities to release the students to their parents so they could disinfect the dormitories, bath houses and toilets to make the environment safer for the students. Kofi Mbiah, the Metropolitan Director of Education, mentioned that a team from the Foods and Drugs Board in Accra has been invited to examine samples of the food that allegedly poisoned some students. He asked parents not to entertain any fears and that efforts were being made to ensure that the incident does not happen again. Last Wednesday, panic-stricken parents stormed the premises of Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School to find out the state of their wards when news broke that students of the school had been struck by a case of food poisoning.