‘Food poisoning’ leaves scores of Eastern Cape pupils in hospital
A total of 143 pupils from two schools in the Eastern Cape had to be rushed to medical facilities between Thursday and Friday after consuming items bought from informal traders.
The Health Department confirmed the incidents on Friday morning.
There has been a rise in alleged food poisoning among school pupils, particularly in the Gauteng province.
Four children have been confirmed dead in the province.
Eastern Cape Health's spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo, says 51 pupils were treated at Frontier Hospital after complaining of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
"The other learner was admitted to the hospital around 6pm in the evening in a critical condition. She is still being treated at the ICU, and her condition is reportedly stable.”
Kupelo says emergency vehicles had to be dispatched to another school.
Last week, two boys from Onkgopotse Tiro Primary School at Tshepisong in Roodepoort were rushed to the local clinic after complaining of stomach cramps in class.
One pupil was certified dead after receiving medical attention.
It’s alleged that the two pupils bought and ate a pack of biscuits from a local spaza shop in the area.
In Tshwane, more than 60 pupils from the Tlotlompho and Reimolotswe Primary Schools, in Ga-Rankuwa and Winterveldt, respectively, fell ill after reportedly consuming snacks they bought from a local spaza and vendors in the area.
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