The Commissioner for Children's Rights Dinara Zakieva visited a school in the village of Mangistau, Mangistau region, where nearly 500 children were recently poisoned.
According to ORDA, the ombudsman said that lessons at the school are continuing, but the children are eating elsewhere.
"The canteen has been closed pending an inspection. As a result, the school day for younger pupils has been shortened", Zakieva reported.
At the same time, Dinara Zakieva explained why the relevant authorities had not carried out inspections at the school before.
"One of the problems is that the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service (SES) does not have the right to conduct inspections without specific complaints. In a year's time, a provision adopted under the law on women's rights and child safety will come into force, allowing the SES to carry out planned inspections", the ombudsman explained.
Furthermore, Zakieva promised to work with experts and government agencies to develop a legal framework to improve the quality of school meals and enhance the safety of services provided by private entrepreneurs.
As a reminder, on 6 September, primary school pupils in the Beshshoky residential area of Mangistau village, Munaily district, Mangistau region were mass poisoned after lunch in the canteen.
The Minister of Health, Akmoral Alnazarova, said that a total of 462 schoolchildren sought medical help. 96 of them were hospitalised, 17 have already been discharged. Two, who were in intensive care, have been moved to a general ward. The remaining 387 children are receiving outpatient treatment.
In turn, the Minister of Education, Gani Beisembayev, announced that he has ordered inspections in all schools across the country.
At the same time, it became known that the school canteen was run by Individual Entrepreneur "Shakenova D". It was reported that the company's annual revenue is estimated at 2.5 billion tenge. Most contracts with the company were concluded through a single-source procurement method.