Picture: for illustration purposes
The Eastern Cape Health Department has confirmed that 120 school children were hospitalised after presenting food poisoning symptoms in a Komani hospital. The affected learners aged eight to fifteen, hail from two distinct schools within the Mlungisi district.
According to Sizwe Kupelo, the Department's Spokesperson, 34 children from the first school were transported to Frontier Hospital with complaints of nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. He further revealed, students from the second school also exhibited symptoms of an allegedly food-borne disease, thus extending the numbers to an alarming 120.
The department disclosed that aside from the standard symptoms, some of the admitted students demonstrated signs of itchiness, while others experienced shortness of breath. Few among the admitted group exhibited high body temperature. Despite the variability in the symptoms, Kupelo assured that all the children were in a stable condition.
To establish the actual cause of the symptoms, a series of tests are being conducted. The health authorities are particularly interested in determining whether the symptoms correlated with food poisoning or another type of illness. Until the results are obtained and an conclusive diagnosis is made, the learners continue to receive medical attention and support at the Frontier Hospital.