Africa-Press – Namibia. The Gciriku traditional community in the Kavango East have blamed the increasing food poisoning incidents on parents who have neglected their roles, leaving children with no choice but to fend for themselves.
Food poisoning occurrences have caused the death of more than 20 people – mainly children – in the Ndiyona constituency of the Kavango East region since 2023.
A community meeting last week here highlighted the gravity of this issue.
Kavango East governor Hamunyera Hambyuka chaired the meeting, which was also attended by regional councillors and other community leaders, including former deputy prime mister John Mutorwa.
“Our main concern is the lack of results. I remember in 1996, about 10 people from the Dosa inland village died in 24 hours. Since then, I have never heard any laboratory outcome,’’ said Hildegard Mangundu, a resident.
“Growing up, we used to eat the same food that they are saying is killing people, but people never died. Let us not prepare unfamiliar food types. If we are to try, let us learn how to prepare it properly so that it doesn’t poison us, learn how it is prepared and never leave it up to the kids,” she advised.
Senior medical officer for Nyangana district Dr Michael Omotayo Hospital said they struggle to handle emergency cases due to poor road networks, which makes it difficult for ambulances to arrive on time for those in critical states. The constituency is characterised by makeshift sandy roads that require offroad vehicles.
He noted that many people in remote areas do not have cell phones to call for help.
Network connection is also another concern, which delays the pace of them getting treatment on time to prevent them from dying. “Sometimes, our ambulances are low on fuel and we fail to get there on time because our ambulance has to first go fill up fuel at Divundu or Rundu, which are both 100 kilometres (km) away. By the time we drive to where the patients are, it is too late,’’ Dr Omotayo stated.
He said there is a need for more health centres. Nyangana District Hospital – which is located 10 km from the Ndiyona settlement, is the only health centre in the Nyangana health district that caters to Ndiyona and Ndonga Linena constituencies. Bernardino Mbumba from Shamvura village said parents neglect their responsibilities due to alcohol. “Who is in charge of homesteads when children go to school? Children after school come home and there are no parents. Parents only show up at night.
One asks what these children have eaten. In the end, children grab anything or prepare just anything that they get. This endangers their lives. Parents, we have really lost the way to manage our homes,” he added.
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