- Athi River South subcounty police commander Jos Mudavadi said the matter was reported to Athi River police station as a suspected poisoning incident
- Mudavadi said a team of police officers led by Athi River OCS rushed to the scene and established that the said children had been affected.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
Eight pupils have been hospitalised after reportedly eating poisonous wild fruits in Athi River, Machakos.
They are among the 51 children from Kanaani Integrated Primary and Junior School rescued after falling ill immediately after they consumed the fruit on Tuesday.
Athi River South subcounty police commander Jos Mudavadi said the matter was reported to Athi River police station as a suspected poisoning incident by the school's head teacher David Sangare.
"It was reported by the school head teacher David Sangare that today at around 1.30 pm, Grade 2 pupils were having their lunch in the school when they picked fruits from an unknown tree which is behind their classroom. The pupils started complaining of stomachache and vomiting," Mudavadi told the Star by phone on Tuesday.
Mudavadi said a team of police officers led by Athi River OCS rushed to the scene and established that the said children had been affected.
He said all the affected children were rushed to Athi River Level 4 Hospital for medication.
Machakos Health executive Daniel Yumbya together with Athi River MCA Jeremiah Kaloi and area assistant chief Martin Ngomo among other leaders visited the hospital to assess the situation.
Yumbya said they received information on the incident at around 3.30 pm on Tuesday.
"We received information that there were pupils from Kanaani Integrated Primary and Junior School in Athi River who had signs of vomiting and stomachache after eating unknown wild fruit. We mobilised and sent ambulances which together with police rushed the victims to Athi River Level 4 hospital," Yumbya said.
Yumbya said the hospital received patients in two batches.
"We received 24 pupils in the first batch and later 27 others. As of now, we have received 51 pupils at the facility," Yumbya said.
He said 22 were taken to the facility in serious condition. They were vomiting and diarrhoearing while 37 others had mild ailments.
Yumbya said 27 doctors and nurses had been mobilised and were attending to the patients.
He said the patients had been administered intravenous (IV) injections together with isthmians orals and zinc.
Those who were in mild condition were given paracetamol, ORS and Zinc.
Yumbya said 43 pupils were in stable condition and had been discharged while eight others had been admitted at the same facility.
He said the hospital had been supplied with adequate drugs and had enough medics to attend to the admitted patients.
"Governor Wavinya Ndeti has said sorry to the affected pupils. She has ordered a waiver on all the affected children's medical bills. They have been treated and given drugs free of charge," Yumbya said.
MCA Kaloi termed the incident an accident.
Kaloi lauded the police and county government for prompt response thereby saving victims' lives.
He told parents of the victims to keep calm and not to panic assuring them that their children were out of danger.
The parents had thronged the facility to find out their children's whereabouts and conditions after they failed to return home from school.
"Governor Ndeti is at the forefront in ensuring that health facilities provide high standards of medication," Kaloi said.
Kaloi also thanked the school head teacher for what he termed speedy and effective communication once the incident happened.