The Department of Health says a chemical agent is behind the spate of suspected food poisoning incidents that have claimed several children’s lives, especially in Soweto, Gauteng.
Recently, six minors were rushed to hospital in critical condition after allegedly consuming various snacks from local spaza shops. Additionally, multiple suspected food poisoning incidents were reported in schools across the country.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REVEALS CAUSE OF FOOD POISONING INCIDENTS
The Department of Health said those affected have concluded that these ailments result from food poisoning, particularly snacks sold by foreign-owned spaza shops.
This has become the generally held view in the country, which prompted some people to take action based on this belief and understanding.
The department said these increasing incidents in black communities have led to an unfortunate and unsubstantiated perception that authorities are paying no heed to this crisis and seem not to care about what’s happening to the citizens.
Contrary to these beliefs and perceptions, South African Police Service (SAPS) detectives have been working around the clock to try to unravel this mystery, especially where children have died.
Additionally, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni municipalities have also deployed their environmental inspectors to investigate the cause of these sudden attacks.
Various bodies, including the National Consumer Commission (NCC) have also sent out their officials to investigate possible breach of consumer protection regulations.
CHEMICAL AGENT MAY BE BEHIND RECENT INCIDENTS
After careful analysis of the situation, it is clear that these bodies were focused on their areas of work to check whether their laws and regulations and established practices had been breached or not complied with.
The national structure responsible for coordinating the security of the state (NATJOINTS), is treating these incidents as a potential threat to the security of the country and its citizens.
Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said last week that NATJOINTS met to analyse the situation and, after careful analysis, recommended that the Department of Health coordinate all the investigations involving various institutions and bodies because, in the final analysis, whatever happens eventually leads to ill health or even death.
Mohale said this prompted the Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to convene the five institutions/bodies mentioned above to a meeting. The Minister brought a sixth institution, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD).
“This is because a few years ago, the country was bedeviled by a food-borne pathogen diagnosed by doctors and laboratories identified as Listeria Monocytogenes. However, nobody knew what its source was. The NICD mounted a country-wide search that led to identifying the source. The Minister thought that experience would come in handy in the country’s current situation,” he explained.
In this meeting of the six organs of state, each reported extensively on what it had done and learned what its conclusions might be.
Mohale said it is a common cause that outbreaks such as these may be caused by:
- A biological agent
- A chemical agent
- A physical agent
“At the end of the careful analysis, the teams concluded that we were dealing with a chemical agent and that this must be identified as urgent.
“A plan has subsequently been hatched to mount a systematic search for the agent causing this malady,” he added.
WHAT DO YOU THGINK ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN THE RECENT FOOD POISONING CASES ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
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