18 Pupils Rushed To Hospital After Eating Osun Govt Free Meal, Gov Adeleke Reacts

The Osun State Government has initiated a probe into the incident involving around 18 pupils from James Primary School B, Osogbo who were hospitalized after consuming a mid-day meal provided as part of the state government’s free school feeding program.

VerseNews reports that the government has also instructed the suspension of further food preparation at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigations.

In a statement released by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, it was revealed that Governor Ademola Adeleke took immediate action upon being notified of the situation.

The statement confirmed that the affected pupils have already been treated and discharged from the hospitals.

“Osun State Government has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the reported cases of food poisoning at St James Primary School B, Owoope, Osogbo,” the statement read.

“The State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, directed immediate action when the matter was reported to him by the Special Adviser on O-Meal, Mrs Grace Ayodele. The Governor has subsequently directed the stoppage of further food cooking at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigations.”

“The affected cooks at the school and the planning officer for the O-Meal program have been summoned to a meeting by Tuesday morning. Additionally, the governor has instructed the enforcement of food standards and control, as well as an audit of the O-Meal structure to prevent future occurrences.”

“Meanwhile, the government is covering the medical expenses of the affected students, as reported by the Chairman of the Local Government Education Authority, Mr. Nathaniel Ojetola. The Chairman, who led the intervention efforts, revealed that a total of 18 students were treated and discharged.”

“The total student population of the school is 200, with 103 students receiving food from the O-Meal Program. A government delegation is also visiting the families of the affected students.”

The incident, which occurred on Monday, sparked panic, particularly among the parents of the affected pupils who shared videos of their children in hospital beds on social media.

In one of the videos obtained by NewsNow, three of the victims were seen receiving medical treatment.

Describing how they fell ill, one of the victims mentioned that they were served rice with egg, after which they started experiencing digestive issues.

In the same video, the mothers of the victims noted that they detected a foul smell from the eggs their children were served when they returned home from school on Monday.

They stated that their children began experiencing digestive problems shortly after returning from school, raising concerns about the food provided by the vendor.

They called for an investigation into the incident to prevent a recurrence.