More than 250 Tutor Ndamase Senior Secondary School pupils were rushed to St Barnabas Hospital on Monday afternoon following an alleged case of food poisoning at the school.
Health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said: “We are still awaiting more information but an unconfirmed report says 273 learners from the school were rushed to St Barnabas Hospital. They presented with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach tramps from suspected food poisoning.”
The pupils were believed to have eaten tinned fish.
In 2018 the Dispatch reported that 180 grade 12 pupils at the school were also rushed to hospital after a bout of food poisoning. Their symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and headaches.
Earlier that year, Ndamase Senior Secondary School in Ngqeleni had two incidents of food poisoning in two months. At Mthatha Technical High School pupils were taken to Mthatha regional hospital with cramps.
The principal of the Tutor Ndamase, identified as Mphakamisi Mjali by a parent, was contacted by the Dispatch for comment. However Mjali hung up on the first call.
More attempts to reach Mjali were unsuccessful as his phone went unanswered.
The deputy principal, identified as Siphokazi Phetheni, answered the Dispatch's call but complained of a poor network signal.
Phetheni requested communication via text message, to which she never responded.
A concerned parent, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the 273 pupils were matrics who ate tinned fish during an after-school lesson on Monday afternoon.
“We as the parents know that the school has dealings with the local spaza shops to get food at lower prices instead of using credible service providers. This isn't the first time such is happening. Some of these children were also complaining last week of stomach cramps and vomiting. If you go to the school premises now, you won't find those tins of fish because they hide them,” said the parent.
gugup@dispatch.co.za
More than 250 pupils rushed to hospital after alleged food poisoning at school
Image: File
More than 250 Tutor Ndamase Senior Secondary School pupils were rushed to St Barnabas Hospital on Monday afternoon following an alleged case of food poisoning at the school.
Health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said: “We are still awaiting more information but an unconfirmed report says 273 learners from the school were rushed to St Barnabas Hospital. They presented with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach tramps from suspected food poisoning.”
The pupils were believed to have eaten tinned fish.
In 2018 the Dispatch reported that 180 grade 12 pupils at the school were also rushed to hospital after a bout of food poisoning. Their symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and headaches.
Earlier that year, Ndamase Senior Secondary School in Ngqeleni had two incidents of food poisoning in two months. At Mthatha Technical High School pupils were taken to Mthatha regional hospital with cramps.
The principal of the Tutor Ndamase, identified as Mphakamisi Mjali by a parent, was contacted by the Dispatch for comment. However Mjali hung up on the first call.
More attempts to reach Mjali were unsuccessful as his phone went unanswered.
The deputy principal, identified as Siphokazi Phetheni, answered the Dispatch's call but complained of a poor network signal.
Phetheni requested communication via text message, to which she never responded.
A concerned parent, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the 273 pupils were matrics who ate tinned fish during an after-school lesson on Monday afternoon.
“We as the parents know that the school has dealings with the local spaza shops to get food at lower prices instead of using credible service providers. This isn't the first time such is happening. Some of these children were also complaining last week of stomach cramps and vomiting. If you go to the school premises now, you won't find those tins of fish because they hide them,” said the parent.
gugup@dispatch.co.za
180 Matrics, vomiting, rushed to hospital
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