ABOUT 120 pupils of Handumanan Elementary School-I in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City were rushed to the hospital since Thursday due to alleged food poisoning.
Of the number, 80 schoolchildren are still confined Friday in different hospitals in the city, including Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital and other private health facilities, based on the report of the barangay’s rescue team.
The report said the pupils drank juice and ate halo-halo, ice candy, and fried chicken sold inside and outside school.
The number of schoolchildren confined in various hospitals increased on Friday, with several suffering from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea due to acute gastroenteritis and cholera amoebiasis, it added.
Village chief Febe Legaspi said over Bombo Radyo Bacolod that based on the initial report of the laboratory test, the liquid drank by the pupils was believed to be contaminated by amoeba.
With the incident, Legaspi said she has asked the Department of Education to suspend classes on Monday, October 17 while parents are still monitoring the medical condition of their children.
Legaspi added that she has already talked with the six vendors in the school canteen and immediately advised them to stop selling food while investigation is ongoing.
She added that the barangay is willing to fund further tests to exactly determine the cause of the food poisoning.
Moreover, Legaspi advised parents to send their children to school with packed snack or lunch instead of letting them buy food from ambulant vendors.