29 Dec 2013

Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital is investigating complaints by a certain family whose members supposedly drank contaminated tea during an indoor residual spraying to prevent malaria.

The hospital’s Dr Maxwell Mungisi told BOPA that it sent food samples to a laboratory for analysis and was awaiting results.

Two people from Xheredomo, near Makalamabedi, were admitted to the hospital after suspicion that they were poisoned with DDT during the spraying that took place on Decemeber 16. The two were admitted two days later for observation but were discharged the same day.

Dr Mungisi said the two were discharged because doctors could not detect any symptoms associated with the DDT spray. He also explained that before the indoor residual spraying, people were encouraged to cooperate and remove all their properties from the houses that were to be sprayed.

He appealed to all residents to cooperate with the spraying teams to allow their houses to be sprayed. Indoor residual spraying sought to prevent the transmission of malaria. Meanwhile, Dr Mungisi said 13 babies: seven girls and six boys were born on Christmas day. ENDS