Over 30 learners from Makahlule Primary School in Ntlhaveni Block H outside Malamulele in Limpopo were rushed to the hospital on Wednesday due to suspected food poisoning.
According to some parents, the learners started vomiting during school hours. It is understood that they had eaten food prepared for the school nutrition programme.
The other items consumed by the learners are said to have been bought from the vendors just outside the schoolyard.
The provincial education department confirmed the incident and said that the investigations are underway.
According to the department, 22 learners were rushed to a nearby clinic in the afternoon when they started vomiting. They were later transferred to Malamulele Hospital.
The pupils were treated and discharged into the care of their parents.
Situation is under control
A second group comprising 13 learners was also rushed to the hospital complaining of headaches and stomach cramps.
They were also released after screening by the health professionals.
The department said it will take food samples that learners had consumed for testing to ascertain if the school’s nutrition rations could have been the cause.
The MEC for education, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, stated that the department will also check the food, primarily snacks, sold by vendors outside the school grounds with the help of health inspectors.
“We call on the parents and education community not to panic as the situation is under control and will be investigated thoroughly to ensure that learners are safe at all times,” said Lerule-Ramakhanya.
Earlier this year, the DA in the province wrote to Lerule-Ramakhanya calling for the urgent implementation of suitable health and safety measures in the school nutrition programme to prevent cases of food poisoning.
Compliance with health standards
The DA said at the time that it was concerned after the death of a 15-year-old learner in the Mogalakwena area from alleged food poisoning.
Fifty-two other learners from the same school also fell ill.
Beyers Smit, the head of constituency in Mogalakwena, said the department must ensure that service providers and schools comply with health standards at all times.
“It is important that the department ensures this food is of an appropriate quality so that it assists in improving learner attendance and performance while also being safe to consume,” Smit said.
“Besides previous cases of suspected food poisoning, there have also been other issues around the department’s poor management of the nutrition programme, such as the delivery of substandard food products, poor storage conditions of the food, theft of food items by criminals, and the late or non-delivery of food by service providers.”
