More than 1000 pupils from 11 schools around King William’s Town have received medical treatment since Monday following an outbreak of diarrhoea in the area.
Scores of matric pupils writing their final exams were unable to finish the English first paper on Wednesday after falling ill.
Some pupils fear they may not be able to write their maths literacy paper this morning as they were still in hospital yesterday.
Speaking from her hospital bed yesterday, Grade 12 Jali Senior Secondary school pupil Agcobile Sonjica, 19, said even if she was discharged, she was not fit to write.
Sonjica fell sick at school on Wednesday and was rushed to Grey hospital in a police van with her study group.
Yolanda Soldati, 20, said she was busy with the English paper when she fell sick.
“I didn’t finish the paper because I got stomach cramps and I rushed to the bathroom where I vomited blood.”
Grade 10 pupil Siyalizwa Mdikidiki, 15, fell sick while walking to her Qhugqwala village home.
“I felt dizzy and weak and my temperature was high so I called my mother, who sent my brother to fetch me in a car.”
She was rushed to Grey hospital but transferred to Bhisho due to the high volume of casualties from other schools.
The pupils got stomach cramps and started vomiting after eating umvubo (pap and sour milk) supplied by the state’s school nutrition programme.
Yesterday, 45 pupils from Luphondweni Secondary School were rushed to Grey hospital.
Health spokesman Siyanda Manana said the pupils all got sick after eating the same meal at school.
Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle, health MEC Phumza Dyantyi and education MEC Mandla Makupula yesterday visited the casualty ward at Bhisho hospital.
Masualle has called for all school nutrition programme food to be subjected to stringent health inspections.
“Going forward, we will be strengthening assessments of food, even visiting some of our suppliers because nutrition is one of those lifeline things for supporting education,” he said.
Masualle said the situation was under control.
“I’m happy to announce that most of our children are out of danger.
“Many were discharged after treatment but there are a few numbers who are still being observed, and they are looking well.”
Makupula said special arrangements would be made for the sick pupils to rewrite the papers they missed.
Dyantyi said health experts had been sent to take samples for testing from the dairy that supplied the sour milk.
Supplies from the dairy, Innesfree Agriculture and Dairy in King William’s Town, to the schools have been halted.
When the Dispatch phoned Innesfree yesterday a woman, who introduced herself only as a manager, said she had been advised by her lawyers not to talk about the matter.
But she said: “Some of the kids were sick even without taking the milk and not all the schools with sick kids are supplied by us.”
She added that the test results would prove her business met all the required standards.
Officials could not say yesterday when the test results would be released.
1000 pupils hit by diarrhoea: Girl rushes out of matric exam vomiting blood
Scores of matric pupils writing their final exams were unable to finish the English first paper on Wednesday after falling ill.
Some pupils fear they may not be able to write their maths literacy paper this morning as they were still in hospital yesterday.
Speaking from her hospital bed yesterday, Grade 12 Jali Senior Secondary school pupil Agcobile Sonjica, 19, said even if she was discharged, she was not fit to write.
Sonjica fell sick at school on Wednesday and was rushed to Grey hospital in a police van with her study group.
Yolanda Soldati, 20, said she was busy with the English paper when she fell sick.
“I didn’t finish the paper because I got stomach cramps and I rushed to the bathroom where I vomited blood.”
Grade 10 pupil Siyalizwa Mdikidiki, 15, fell sick while walking to her Qhugqwala village home.
“I felt dizzy and weak and my temperature was high so I called my mother, who sent my brother to fetch me in a car.”
She was rushed to Grey hospital but transferred to Bhisho due to the high volume of casualties from other schools.
The pupils got stomach cramps and started vomiting after eating umvubo (pap and sour milk) supplied by the state’s school nutrition programme.
Yesterday, 45 pupils from Luphondweni Secondary School were rushed to Grey hospital.
Health spokesman Siyanda Manana said the pupils all got sick after eating the same meal at school.
Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle, health MEC Phumza Dyantyi and education MEC Mandla Makupula yesterday visited the casualty ward at Bhisho hospital.
Masualle has called for all school nutrition programme food to be subjected to stringent health inspections.
“Going forward, we will be strengthening assessments of food, even visiting some of our suppliers because nutrition is one of those lifeline things for supporting education,” he said.
Masualle said the situation was under control.
“I’m happy to announce that most of our children are out of danger.
“Many were discharged after treatment but there are a few numbers who are still being observed, and they are looking well.”
Makupula said special arrangements would be made for the sick pupils to rewrite the papers they missed.
Dyantyi said health experts had been sent to take samples for testing from the dairy that supplied the sour milk.
Supplies from the dairy, Innesfree Agriculture and Dairy in King William’s Town, to the schools have been halted.
When the Dispatch phoned Innesfree yesterday a woman, who introduced herself only as a manager, said she had been advised by her lawyers not to talk about the matter.
But she said: “Some of the kids were sick even without taking the milk and not all the schools with sick kids are supplied by us.”
She added that the test results would prove her business met all the required standards.
Officials could not say yesterday when the test results would be released.
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