The National Health Department has rebuffed claims that government is neglecting the issue of children losing their lives from suspected food poisoning.
According to the department, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) is currently treating the recent spate of deaths as a national security threat.
The department issued a statement on Monday as another food poisoning incident was reported at Ngaqa Primary School in Mtubatuba where 43 learners had to be hospitalized after eating snacks from a local wholesaler.
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“These increasing incidents in black communities have led to an unfortunate and unsubstantiated perception that authorities are turning a blind eye to this crisis, and seem not to care about what’s happening to citizens.
“Contrary to these beliefs and perceptions, this is what various authorities have been engaged in,” said the department.
Community members from the affected areas have been led to believe that these sudden deaths are a result of food poisoning emanating from foodstuff sold by foreign-owned spaza shops.
The Health Department emphasized that NATJOINTS, which is the national structure responsible for coordinating the security of the State, is treating these incidents as a potential threat to the security of the country and its citizens.
“Last week, NATJOINTS met to analyse this situation and after careful analysis, recommended that the Department of Health should coordinate all these investigations involving various institutions and bodies because in the final analysis, whatever is happening eventually leads to ill-health or even death,” the statement read.
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