17 hospitalized after eating tubers due to hunger in Nsanje
Kalonga appealed to the communities to refrain from eating tubers they do not know to avoid similar incidents.
NSANJE, Malawi - Seventeen people from Group Village Headman Kalonga around Milton in the area of Traditional Authority Mbenje in Nsanje were rushed to the hospital on Sunday after eating some tubers due to hunger in the district, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
Parliamentarian for Nsanje Lalanje Gladys Ganda confirmed the incident on Monday, saying it is sad that people are still facing hunger challenges despite calls for food aid to the government, non-state actors, and well-wishers to support them.
Ganda, who is also the chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance, told AfricaBrief that the area in question is under Mlonda Ward and did not benefit from a recent food aid distribution by a renowned philanthropist.
"I am appealing to the government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and individuals to come to Nsanje Lalanje with relief items," she said.
Group Village Headman Kalonga concurred with the MP, saying some people went to dig tubers along the Chikowa stream within the area and cooked or ate them raw.
After sometime, some people experienced abdominal pains, vomiting, and others fainted. Kalonga immediately called Mlonda Ward Councilor Cassim Useni Ngwali, who came and picked up some patients before the arrival of the Nsanje Lalanje Constituency ambulance, which carried the rest to either Phokera Health Centre or Kalemba Rural Community Hospital.
Kalonga appealed to the communities to refrain from eating tubers they do not know to avoid similar incidents.
Meanwhile, police in the district are yet to comment on the incident.