Eastern Cape school treats 131 pupils for suspected food poisoning

Health officials treated around 131 pupils from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni for suspected food poisoning on Wednesday.

The Eastern Cape Department of Health reported that Emergency Medical Services in Mthatha responded at about 1 pm after the school notified them that several pupils had fallen ill.

The emergency team transported the pupils to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional Hospital, and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre for medical care.

Symptoms linked to the suspected cause

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.

Previous warnings on food safety

The Eastern Cape Department of Education has previously issued a memorandum warning schools about the risks of food poisoning.

The memo instructed schools to follow the revised National School Nutrition Programme guidelines and comply with food safety policies.

The department directed district offices to provide hands-on support to schools to prevent food contamination and food-borne illnesses.

Vendor compliance stressed

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.