Almost 80 children from Matjhabeng were victims of the spate of “food poisoning” incidents that struck school learners in a large part of the Free State last week.
Over a three-day period some 141 children from six schools in the Free State were admitted to hospitals and clinics in Thabong, Mmamahabane, Meloding, Zastron and Bloemfontein.
In one incident, 13 learners with suspected food poisoning were seen at the Rearabetswe Clinic in Meloding, Virginia, while six learners were seen at the Mmamahabane Clinic in Ventersburg.
Vista reported last week that 59 children of the Daluvuyo School in Thabong were treated at the Bongani Hospital.
“The Free State Department of Health has been on the alert to treat patients who visit health facilities with suspected cases of food poisoning,” says Mondli Mvambi, head of communications for the department.
Mvambi says the learners of Daluvuyo were treated and discharged.
“The only learner remaining is a ten-year-old boy, who is now treated for other ailments that were seemingly aggravated by the ingestion of a poisoned snack. The patient is still under treatment and observation at the Bongani Regional Hospital,” he confirmed.
On Thursday, 7 November, about 47 learners of the Ihobe Primary School were treated at and discharged from the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein.
Out of the 47, only a ten-year-old girl and a 11-year-old boy remained in hospital.
One ten-year-old female learner of the Toka Primary School in Bloemfontein was also treated and discharged on same day.
In another incident, about 15 learners of the Mooifontein School in Zastron were treated for suspected food poisoning. Only one female learner (16) remains in the Embekweni District Hospital in Zastron.
Mvambi says the Free State government is concerned about the spread of these incidents, which seems to reflect an orchestrated plan at play.
“The department encourages the public to be circumspect about places and environments where they buy their food and the conditions under which their food is packaged, prepared and distributed. Citizens are urged not to consume expired food items and to report such to law enforcement agencies,” he says.
