131 pupils treated for food poisoning at Eastern Cape school
According to the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services in Mthatha responded at about 1 pm after the school reported that several pupils had fallen ill.
Emergency team transported the pupils to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional Hospital, and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre for medical care.
Speaking with Newzroom Afrika , Department spokesperson Siyanda Manana described the incident as 'unfortunate'. She said pupils had experienced dizziness, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, and abdominal pain.
'All those symptoms point to suspected acute food poisoning. They ate rice and tinned fish, so we suspect this is the source. However, environmental health practitioners will confirm the exact cause,' said Manana.
The Eastern Cape Department of Education has previously issued a memorandum warning schools about the risks of food poisoning.
The memo urged schools to follow the revised guidelines of the National School Nutrition Programme and ensure compliance with food safety policies.
The department instructed district offices to provide direct support to schools to prevent food contamination and food-borne diseases.
The memorandum instructed principals and School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to accredit all vendors on school premises and ensure they meet required food preparation standards.
'Working together will ensure that pupils are safe and their consumption is monitored. The MEC also urged parents and schools to remain on high alert to prevent such incidents,' the department said at the time.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
16 hours ago
- The South African
131 pupils treated for food poisoning at Eastern Cape school
Health officials treated about 131 pupils from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni for suspected food poisoning on Wednesday. According to the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services in Mthatha responded at about 1 pm after the school reported that several pupils had fallen ill. Emergency team transported the pupils to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional Hospital, and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre for medical care. Speaking with Newzroom Afrika , Department spokesperson Siyanda Manana described the incident as 'unfortunate'. She said pupils had experienced dizziness, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, and abdominal pain. 'All those symptoms point to suspected acute food poisoning. They ate rice and tinned fish, so we suspect this is the source. However, environmental health practitioners will confirm the exact cause,' said Manana. The Eastern Cape Department of Education has previously issued a memorandum warning schools about the risks of food poisoning. The memo urged schools to follow the revised guidelines of the National School Nutrition Programme and ensure compliance with food safety policies. The department instructed district offices to provide direct support to schools to prevent food contamination and food-borne diseases. The memorandum instructed principals and School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to accredit all vendors on school premises and ensure they meet required food preparation standards. 'Working together will ensure that pupils are safe and their consumption is monitored. The MEC also urged parents and schools to remain on high alert to prevent such incidents,' the department said at the time. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
18 hours ago
- IOL News
70 Eastern Cape learners hospitalised after suspected food poisoning
About 70 learners from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni have been hospitalised following a suspected case of food poisoning. Image: FILE About 70 learners from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni have been hospitalised following a suspected case of food poisoning, the Eastern Cape Department of Health confirmed on Wednesday. Department spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the province's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded earlier in the day to the incident at the school. 'About 70 schoolchildren were transported to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional Hospital, and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre,' said Manana. He added that the team dispatched both ambulances and a helicopter to assist the learners. 'Some of the learners were on intravenous drips, and those in serious condition were airlifted to the hospital,' he said. The incident comes amid growing concerns over food safety in South Africa. Last year, several provinces recorded outbreaks of food poisoning among schoolchildren, allegedly linked to contaminated food sold by street vendors. Last year, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi reported that 23 people, most of them children aged between six and nine, died after consuming food from informal shops. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged all spaza shops and food outlets to register with their local municipalities to help curb the rise in food-borne illnesses. IOL News previously reported that the Cabinet also moved to strengthen regulations. In June, it announced an immediate ban on the import of the toxic chemical rodenticide Terbufos, commonly known as 'halephirimi,' after it was allegedly linked to the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the decision followed a report by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Food-Borne Illnesses, supported by the Ministerial Advisory Council (MAC), chaired by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. 'The MAC, which comprises health experts from multiple disciplines, found that Terbufos, a highly hazardous chemical, was the likely cause of the children's deaths,' said Ntshavheni. The Department of Agriculture will lead public consultations on the Terbufos ban, in line with the government's 2010 strategy to phase out toxic pesticides and promote safer alternatives. Cape Times
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Suspected food poisoning at Eastern Cape school leaves 70 learners in hospital
About 70 learners from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni have been hospitalised following a suspected case of food poisoning Image: pexels About 70 learners from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni have been hospitalised following a suspected case of food poisoning, the Eastern Cape Department of Health confirmed on Wednesday. In a media statement, department spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the province's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded earlier in the day to the incident at the school. 'About 70 schoolchildren were transported to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional Hospital, and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre,' said Manana, who is the department's Director of Communications. He added that the team dispatched both ambulances and a helicopter to assist the learners. 'Some of the learners were on intravenous drips, and those in serious condition were airlifted to the hospital,' he said. The incident comes amid growing concerns over food safety in South Africa. Last year, several provinces recorded outbreaks of food poisoning among schoolchildren, allegedly linked to contaminated food sold by street vendors. Gauteng was the province worst affected. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Last year, Premier Panyaza Lesufi reported that 23 people, most of them children aged between six and nine, died after consuming food from informal shops. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged all spaza shops and food outlets to register with their local municipalities to help curb the rise in food-borne illnesses. IOL News previously reported that the Cabinet also moved to strengthen regulations. In June, it announced an immediate ban on the import of the toxic chemical rodenticide Terbufos, commonly known as 'halephirimi,' after it was allegedly linked to the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the decision followed a report by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Food-Borne Illnesses, supported by the Ministerial Advisory Council (MAC), chaired by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. 'The MAC, which comprises health experts from multiple disciplines, found that Terbufos, a highly hazardous chemical, was the likely cause of the children's deaths,' said Ntshavheni. While the exact circumstances of exposure remain under investigation, authorities believe the children may have consumed contaminated food purchased from a local spaza shop. The Department of Agriculture will lead public consultations on the Terbufos ban, in line with the government's 2010 strategy to phase out toxic pesticides and promote safer alternatives. IOL News
