On Friday, the Bongo District Director of Health, Estella Abazesi, reassured the public that the situation was under control after 12 individuals were hospitalized at St. Clement Hospital in Bongo following the consumption of watermelon.
Speaking to Apexnewsgh, Director Abazesi recounted how her team responded swiftly to the incident. “So, it’s last night that we also had the information. This morning, our team went to the facility to get some detailed information about what happened. We met about 12 clients at St. Clement Hospital in Bongo, and they are all doing well now,” she said.
According to the Director, all the affected individuals shared a common history: they had eaten watermelon on the 24th of the month. Shortly after, they experienced vomiting and diarrhea, resulting in their admission to the hospital. Interestingly, two members of the same household who did not consume the watermelon remained healthy and showed no symptoms.
Further inquiries revealed that the patients had eaten different meals that evening before consuming the watermelon. Unfortunately, Abazesi noted, “There is no leftover of the watermelon whatsoever, so we can’t really take a sample for testing. We just have to keep our ears on the ground to see what happens further.”
Director Abazesi assured that, as of now, all patients are stable and recovering. “No one has the symptoms now. They are all pending for discharge, except one who will be referred due to a pre-existing condition.”
The origin of the watermelon was also traced. “The watermelon was bought from the northeast, in Walewale,” she explained. “We need to keep our ears on the ground to see whether this is a larger issue. If it’s related to the watermelon, we’ll find out, but for now, all the clients are doing well.”
Health officials plan to continue monitoring the situation, even after the patients are discharged. “We still do follow-ups to ensure they remain healthy,” Abazesi said.
When asked about efforts to trace the source of the watermelon, Abazesi acknowledged that they were yet to meet the man who purchased it. “We will stay in touch with the assemblyman to gather more information about exactly where the watermelon was bought. Once we reach him, we can further our investigation.”
Director Abazesi concluded on a reassuring note, emphasizing that the health team remained vigilant and would keep the public informed as they continued to investigate the incident.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com