Health Minister Akmara Alnazarova has provided an update on the condition of children who suffered food poisoning in a school canteen in the Beshoky residential area of the village of Mangistau, Mangistau region.
According to Zakon.kz, the head of the department stated that a total of 462 schoolchildren sought medical assistance.
96 of them were hospitalised, with 17 already discharged. Two children who had been in intensive care have been moved to a general ward. The remaining 387 children are receiving outpatient treatment. The minister noted that the situation is stable and the children are recovering.
Meanwhile, journalists from Ulysmedia.kz asked Education Minister Gani Beissembayev to comment on the children's poisoning.
"I have previously stated that the legislative framework must be strengthened in all educational and catering organisations. Local executive bodies must strictly adhere to the established rules. The tasting committees present in every educational organisation previously carried out checks once a month, but now this committee can conduct checks daily. There are regional monitoring groups that must be able to travel and carry out this work at any time," he said.
The minister said he had ordered inspections to be carried out in all regions of the country. The committee will include staff from the sanitary epidemiological service and other public organisations.
"Although this work was carried out in August, we are nonetheless stepping up these efforts. Both local executive bodies and entrepreneurs involved in children's catering must comply with all legal requirements and not violate them. Only then will we likely bring order. We will now review the results of the monitoring groups," Beissembayev noted.
Journalists also asked the minister who would be held responsible for the incident involving the children. Beissembayev did not give a direct answer, merely stressing that people would learn about the measures taken once the investigation is concluded.
It will be recalled that on 6 September, in the Beshoky residential area of the village of Mangistau, Munaily district, Mangistau region, primary school pupils were massively poisoned after lunch in the canteen. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the incident. However, parents claim that on that day, the children ate mashed potatoes with a cutlet in the school canteen.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the school canteen was operated by IE "Shakenova D". It was stated that the enterprise's annual revenue is estimated at 2.5 billion tenge. Most contracts with the company were concluded through single-source procurement.