More than 20 children hospitalized after lunch and snacking at school
According to Lao Dong Newspaper's records, on July 8, the Department of Infectious Diseases, Hoai Duc General Hospital (Hanoi) received many children hospitalized with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Due to the large number of pediatric patients admitted to the hospital at the same time, some children had to sit on stone benches on the hospital grounds for intravenous fluids.
Ms. Hoang Thi Ha (character name has been changed) - a parent with a 3-year-old child studying at Hoa Sen Kindergarten - said that at about 7 pm on July 7, after discovering that her child had abnormal health signs, the family took her to Hoai Duc General Hospital for emergency treatment and hospitalization.
He vomited a lot and had diarrhea. When he was admitted to the hospital, he was monitored by doctors and given intravenous fluids. I suspect that my child's condition may be related to the food supply to the school not being safe," Ms. Ha shared.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tham (character name has been changed) - the grandmother of another child patient - said that her child was admitted to the hospital at around 8 pm on July 7.
When I took her to the hospital, I saw many other children in similar conditions. She vomited and had diarrhea. After a night of intravenous fluids, this morning she vomited less," Ms. Tham said.
As of this morning (July 9), according to information from the Board of Directors of Hoa Sen Kindergarten, many children have recovered and been discharged from the hospital, with only a few children remaining for further monitoring.
Food samples sent for testing
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Loc - Vice Principal of Hoa Sen Kindergarten, Hoai Duc commune, Hanoi - confirmed that at about 7 pm on July 7, the school received feedback from many parents about their children having symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea after returning home from school.
Since last night until now, 22 children have been hospitalized. Immediately after receiving information from parents, the school sent teachers to the hospital to coordinate with families to monitor, care for and support the children," Ms. Loc informed.
Regarding the images of some children having to sit and receive intravenous fluids outside the hospital yard, Ms. Loc said that the number of children brought to the hospital was quite large, so they may have to wait outside for a short time. In addition, a hospital area is being repaired, which affects the arrangement of treatment places.
A school representative said that, up to now, doctors have concluded that the children have digestive disorders.
Regarding the meal on July 7th, the children's lunch includes beef with vang sauce, Malabar spinach soup with meat and orange juice for dessert. The afternoon snack includes banh cha bong and milk.
When reporters requested to provide information about food suppliers, the Vice Principal said that the school is coordinating with the supplier to handle the case. Food samples have been taken by the school in coordination with the police and the health station, sent for testing. When there are official results, the school will provide information.
Answering the question about whether the causes of digestive disorders in children are related to lunch or snacks, Ms. Loc said that it is not yet possible to confirm.
The cause does not necessarily come from food, but it may also be due to the child's digestive system being weak or poor resistance," Ms. Loc expressed her opinion.
Working with the People's Committee of Hoai Duc commune, Ms. Do Thi Hoa Dinh - Deputy Head of the Culture - Society Department of the People's Committee of Hoai Duc commune - confirmed that there are currently more than 20 children in the area showing signs of digestive disorders and requiring hospitalization for monitoring.
On the day of the incident, the children all ate the same menu. More than 20 children showed symptoms of digestive disorders. The cases mainly focused in the two kindergarten classes, which are the smallest group of children," a representative of the Commune People's Committee said.
According to a representative of the Commune People's Committee, immediately after the incident occurred, the locality assigned forces to coordinate with the school to handle the incident, and at the same time sealed the food sample and transferred it to specialized agencies for testing.
Regarding food safety incidents, it is currently impossible to draw conclusions without test results. The Commune People's Committee is advising on establishing an inspection team. Regarding the process of supplying food to schools, relevant units have all followed the instructions of the Department of Education and Training.
Regarding food suppliers, there are currently many businesses participating in supplying to the school. However, specific information about these units will have to be consulted with the department leaders before being provided to the press.
