The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) is raising alarm over a worrying increase in food poisoning incidents affecting children in the region.
This concern comes in the wake of a distressing event on Monday, where 41 children aged between three and five were rushed to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.
The children, who were attending a local preschool, reportedly consumed substances believed to be rat poison, mistaking them for candy.
On the same day, another incident saw 10 individuals, including eight children, transported from the Ramokonopi Community Health Centre to Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Ekurhuleni due to food poisoning.
From the group at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, 17 children were kept for overnight observation while the others were discharged.
At Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital, all adults involved were treated and released on Monday night. Of the children, two were discharged Tuesday morning, with the remaining six in stable condition but still hospitalised.
Since the first reported incident in October 2023, there have been 863 food-borne illness outbreaks in the region, tragically resulting in 11 fatalities, writes The Citizen.
The GDoH emphasised the critical role of parents, caregivers, and all societal sectors in preventing these dangerous incidents by ensuring food safety and vigilance.
“The Department calls on all arms of society, particularly parents and caregivers to play their part in protecting children from the risks of food poisoning to safeguard their health and prevent further incidents,” the GDoH said, as per The Citizen.
The GDoH deployed a specialised team on Tuesday, including an epidemiologist, health promotion officers, and environmental health officers, to the affected facilities to identify risks and close safety gaps.
The Department continues to urge the public to be aware of food poisoning symptoms, which can include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and more severe signs like sudden facial swelling and bodily weakness.
Anyone experiencing such symptoms are advised to seek immediate medical care.
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