Bolgatanga Nurses students accused of sexually exploiting and impregnating teenagers

Community members at Zaire in the Bolgatanga municipality of the Upper East Region are accusing students of the Bolgatanga nursing training school and other tertiary institutions of sexually abusing and impregnating teenage girls residing in communities in which these tertiary institutions are located. In a research conducted to this effect by a group known as Save Our Women, it was revealed that some teenage girls in the Zaare community have fallen victims to such abuses. Some of these girls are detained in the rooms of these trainee nurses for days thereby preventing them from going to school.

Chief Director of Save Our Woman Alagskomah Eugene Savio said their research revealed that, in 2013, 20% of the female youth were in a sexual relationship with student nurses. In the same year, about three (3) pregnancies were recorded, 2 abortions and 1 delivery. In 2014, there was an astronomical increase of 47% putting the percentage of female youth in sexual relationships with trainee nurses at 67%. In this very year, 5 pregnancies were recorded with 2 having to terminate their pregnancies through illicit means. However, the remaining 3 are yet to deliver. “Generalizing from the above using the Bolgatanga Nurses Training College as a case, it can be reliably concluded that rural communities in which tertiary institutions especially training colleges and polytechnics are located can be rated as highly vulnerable zones as teenage girls who reside within these areas are easy prey to students of these institutions. It is worth mentioning that the situation is not different for teenage girls residing around the Bolgatanga Polytechnic”

He said the above scenario poses serious consequences to the development of the girl-child, the progress of their communities of residence and the nation at large. He added Some of the girls are forced to drop out of school when they become pregnant.  “A very good example was the 14year old girl who upon realizing that she was pregnant had to drop out of school in order to give birth and has since being catering for her baby alone. Also, those who wish to continue their education have no option than to resort to illicit abortions which sometimes leads to serious health risk. “Another very good example was the 17year old girl who in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy which was believed to be twins almost ended up in her grave and was hospitalized for over a month”. 

"Moreover, those who drop out of school to give-birth end up being parents at a very early age. It was also revealed that families these girls are overburdened as they have to cater for the teen mother together with her baby as the students abandon them upon realizing that the teenage girls are pregnant”.

Mr. Eugene Savio Alagskomah said his outfit would to collaborate with the school authorities into enticing students to sign a bond so that should they impregnate a community girl during their stay in school they would be forced to take sole responsibility of the girls’ together with their unborn children’s education and welfare. "We would also relentlessly investigate and prosecute those who detain school girls in their rooms for days and subsequently abuse them sexually".