Eastern Cape department of health spokesperson Siyanda Manana labelled the incident as 'unfortunate'.
About 131 pupils from the Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni were treated for food poisoning on Wednesday.
According to the Eastern Cape department of health, Emergency Medical Services at Mthatha responded to the incident at about 1pm after the school raised an alarm on sick pupils.
The pupils were transported to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional Hospital and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre for medical care.
Eastern Cape department of health spokesperson Siyanda Manana labbelled the incident as “unfortunate”.
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“At about 1pm, the department received a call from the school explaining that pupils were experiencing dizziness, some of them were vomiting, diarrhoea, while others experienced seizures and abdominal pain,” he told Newzroom Afrika.
“All those symptoms point to suspected acute food poisoning. They ate rice and tin fish, so we suspect it is the genesis of all this. But the environmental health practitioners will be able to tell us what is really the cause of this. But all the symptoms that were exhibited by the pupils point to that.”
Food poisoning memorandum
The Eastern Cape Department of Education has previously issued a memorandum to schools cautioning schools about food poisoning incidents.
The department took a stance to ensure schools implement the food safety policy guidelines as stipulated in the National School Nutrition Programme Revised Guidelines.
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“Each of the Districts are provided with direct support to schools to ensure compliance with the National School Nutrition Programme which addresses identifying and addressing incidents of food contamination and food borne diseases,” said the department at the time.
In the memorandum, the department emphasises the wellness of pupils and further instructs principals and the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to ensure that vendors within the premises of schools meet the required accreditation for the preparation and serving of food or snack items.
“Working together will ensure that pupils are safe, and their consumption is monitored. The MEC also urged parents and schools to be on the high alert to avert this from happening in their school, as this will guarantee that learners are safe.”
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