adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
ABOUT 40 people from Khandamhlophe Village in Bulilima District are admitted to Plumtree District Hospital after eating poisoned beef.
The poisoned meat affected the entire village and some of the villagers were treated and discharged at a local clinic in Ndolwane area.
When Chronicle visited Plumtree Hospital yesterday, a majority of the patients had been put on drip.
In an interview at the hospital, the councillor for the area, Clr Zoolakes Nyathi, said the villagers fell ill after eating the poisoned beef which they bought from another villager.
“Investigations have shown that villagers were sold poisoned meat last week. A cow was found dead on Thursday last week and it is believed it had been dosed.
“The owners of the beast are believed to have slaughtered it a day after it had been dosed and thereafter they sold the meat to villagers and even gave away some. They indicated that they did not know that the beast had been dosed,” said Clr Nyathi.
He said the beast is suspected to have been dosed by some boys from the village.
“Some boys mistakenly hit and injured the animal in the woods on Wednesday last week. Thereafter they dosed the animal as it could not walk but it later died and they did not inform anyone about the incident.
“Unknowingly the owners found their beast dead and they slaughtered it without seeing any harm and then sold the meat to the people,” said Clr Nyathi.
He said a team of medics was sent to the village to screen the patients while others had still not received any treatment due to transport challenges.
“A team of health experts was dispatched to the village to screen the patients as some needed to be hospitalised. Others had to be treated at Ndolwane Clinic.
“However, some patients are still at their homes and they have not received any treatment as they cannot make it to the hospital because of their condition. Efforts to get them to a health facility are still underway as they should all receive medical attention,” said Clr Nyathi.
He said eight patients were transported by ambulance while 30 others used council vehicles on Tuesday night.
One of the patients at the hospital, Mrs Sipho Khupe, said she fell ill on Friday and her condition worsened until she was admitted to hospital.
“I bought the meat for my family out of good faith. We ate it on Friday last week and by sunset we were all vomiting, feeling dizzy and dehydrated and we had running stomachs. We could barely eat and this situation persisted for days.
“The situation was not getting any better and the clinic had to refer some of us to the hospital as we had to be put on drips,” said Mrs Khupe.
Another patient, Mr Elmon Mhlanga, said he could barely walk when he was admitted.
“I was growing weak by the day ever since I ate the meat on Thursday last week. I helped slaughter the beast but had no idea that it had been dosed. My whole family was terribly sick and we could barely walk.
“We left a number of people back in the village who are critical and the truth is that they can barely make their way to the clinic as they cannot walk,” said Mr Mhlanga.
He said the boys suspected to have dosed the beast have since fled from the village.
The District Medical Officer for Plumtree Hospital, Dr Langalokusa Sibanda, confirmed that the villagers had been admitted to the hospital.
“We are treating patients from Khandamhlophe Village but I cannot give an exact figure on the patients that have been admitted as they are still coming in.
“Some were treated at the clinic.
“We are still carrying out investigations to ascertain the cause of their illness and the severity of the situation,” said Dr Sibanda.
Online Reporter