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Nine hospitalized over food poisoning in Koboko

todayJuly 29, 2021


By Ronald Acema

Nine people have been admitted at various health facilities while one other person is under home based care in Koboko town after eating food suspected to be laced with poison.

The victims are all business people at the main gate of Koboko main market. Trouble started after jointly eating food at a local eating joint owned by a one Ramla Tiko located within the hawker Lane at Koboko main market.
A number of the victims developed stomach complication and got diarrhea shortly after eating. 
 
Victor Anguni, the health assistant North division Koboko municipality says the victims were rushed to different private facilities after their conditions worsened.
 
“After freely taking tea, they woke up with complaints. Abdominal pains, headache, vomiting, diarrhea. They were rushed to the nearby clinics”, he said.
 
“I spent a sleepless night especially on Sunday when we first at the food. I developed diarrhea and I thought it was a miner stomach issue but i got worried when my colleagues also complained of the similar complications before we could seek attention”, said Agu Ahabu, one of the seven other victims who got admitted at St. Augustina Agoo Medical Centre in West Division Koboko municipality.
 
Goro Akufa, another victim says although he had to get some tablets after realizing some stomach ache, the situation could not change.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the water used for preparing the food was poisoned by a yet to be identified person as the owner of the restaurant is accustomed to leaving the water for preparing meals at the same joint.
 
Other reports also suggest that the water used for preparing the meals is contaminated at the source.
 
Oyee Cosmas, an attendant at St Augutino Agoo Madical Center says the victims are responding to medication.
 
Koboko municipality authorities are currently mooting plans to regulate all small eating joints to avoid cases of food poisoning.


Other cases
 
In March 2019, 278 food related illnesses were reported in the Amudat and Napak districts of the Karamoja Region of Uganda and five people died. The World Food Programme (WFP) stopped distribution of Super Cereal across the country and started an investigation.
 
Some 33 cases of food poisoning were also reported in the Lamwo District of Uganda, some 400 kilometers from Amudat in late August.
 
Also on 05 Jun 2019, two people were confirmed dead and seven others hospitalized at Pakwach Health centre IV after eating suspected poisonous cassava. The victims are all members of the same family, and residents of Ragem West village, Wadelai Sub-County in the West Nile district of Pakwach.     

The deceased minors included Mercy Afoyorwoth, a 9-year-old pupil of Pateng Primary school and 11-year old Sheebah Giramia, a primary one pupil of Alii Ragem Primary School.


COVER PHOTO: Food poisoning and hygiene has been a major concern for urban dwellers. Courtesy photo.
 

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