113 pupils hospitalized for poisoning
FOR SHARING EXPIRED CANDIES
SAN CARLOS CITY–More than 100 students of Guelew Integrated School were rushed to Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) here last Thursday morning due to mass food poisoning allegedly from sharing boxes of candies sold by a store in front of the school.
Dr. Policarpio Manuel, PPH director, said the prognosis is guarded because victims are still under observation and they still could not say exactly what the contents of the chewing gum are.
About 58 of the students were given intravenous fluid upon arrival at the hospital because some were weak, suffered stomach pain, nausea and felt dizzy, Manuel said.
About 52 others were under observation in the PPH. They would remain in the PPH for 24 hours, he said. Three others were rushed to Virgen Milagrosa Hospital also in this city.
The patients were brought to the hospitals by their teachers and parents at 10:00 a.m.
Manuel said it was the first time the hospital experienced admitting a big number of patients for food poisoning at the same time.
The hospital was placed on Code Blue, that required staff not on duty who live nearby to report for duty to help attend to the emergency. There were 30 nurses and 10 doctors who quickly responded.
PUPILS of Guelew Integrated School in San Carlos pack the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital’s pediatric room for treatment.
Dr. Edwin Guinto, city health officer, said the effects of the food poisoning was immediate so he concluded it could only be caused by a chemical toxin.
They found out the all the victims ate candy (Mentos Fruity Fresh 3D) flavored strawberry/grapes sold at P2 each per box with seven pieces each. Few minutes later, they vomited and felt dizzy.
Manuel assured their parents the hospital will not charge for the treatment.
The candy was sold in a sari-sari store in front of the school in Barangay Guelew whose owner reportedly bought from another store in neighboring town Urbiztondo.
Christopher Macasias, master teacher 1 of the school, said he examined the remaining pieces of candy found in the box and found them were already melting and discolored.
Before he started his class, he noticed his students were holding boxes of the gum.
He was told a box was reportedly sold at P30 per box in grocery stores but was surprisingly sold at P2 only at the sari-sari store which explained why many of the children rushed to buy the candy.
One of the vicitms, Jaymark delos Santos, 10, grade 4 pupil, said he suffered dizziness and vomited after eating the candy while Gilbert Buaya, 13, grade 7, said he experienced stomach pain and became dizzy. Kier Garin, 9, grade 4, said he had headache and felt abdominal pain.
The three said the candy was shared to them only by their classmates who bought from the store.
Five students in high school were also brought to the hospital.
Samples of the candy box (some carried an expiry date that said March 2015, while others did not) were turned over by the PPH to the Provincial Health Office for laboratory examination. (Tita Roces)
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