The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) said the girl’s mother and her four-year-old brother are currently receiving treatment at Edenvale Hospital. Picture: Facebook
A 10-year-old girl has died after being rushed to the Alexandra Community Health Centre emergency unit Saturday night, following a suspected foodborne illness.
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) said the girl’s 38-year-old mother and her four-year-old brother from Alexandra in Johannesburg are currently receiving treatment at Edenvale Hospital.
“Both patients are in a stable condition and under medical care,” the department said.
“Further reports are awaited on the cause of the sudden illness and death.”
The department extended its condolences to the family and said government was concerned about the rising incidents of foodborne illnesses, particularly those affecting children.
The latest incident follows the deaths of six Naledi children which Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told the media last week was due to a chemical known as organophosphate.
There has been a recent surge in the number of children reported to have food poisoning in parts of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Limpopo.
The Gauteng provincial government said it was deploying an experienced team of food inspectors to monitor spaza shops in townships in the province.
“The department is working closely with multiple stakeholders and the municipalities to heighten awareness in townships, informal settlements, and hostel communities.
“We continue to urge the public to exercise caution when purchasing and consuming food items,” the GDoH said on Sunday.
The department noted it was important to purchase food from reputable sellers with valid permits to operate, to check expiration dates and avoid consuming expired products, to ensure that food packaging is intact and has not been tampered with, and for shops to adhere to the conditions of their permits which include compliance with environmental health regulations and maintaining hygiene standards.
“We appeal to the public not to take the law into their own hands but to rather notify relevant authorities where they pick up noncompliance issues,” the GDoH said.
Cape Times