Bongo: 12 individuals hospitalized at St. Clement Hospital for consuming watermelon

The Bongo District Director of Health, Estella Abazesi, has assured the public that the situation is under control after 12 people were admitted to St. Clement Hospital in Bongo following the consumption of watermelon.

Speaking to this reporter on Friday, Director Abazesi said health officials responded promptly after receiving information about 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 had one thing in common. They had eaten watermelon on the 24th of the month before developing symptoms.

She explained that shortly after consuming the fruit, they experienced vomiting and diarrhoea, which led to their admission to the hospital. She added that two members of the same household who did not eat the watermelon remained healthy and did not develop any symptoms.

Further investigations revealed that although the patients had eaten different meals before consuming the watermelon, there was no remaining portion of the fruit available for laboratory analysis.

“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,” she noted.

Director Abazesi said all the affected patients had responded well to treatment and were in stable condition.

“No one has the symptoms now. They are all pending for discharge, except one who will be referred due to a pre-existing condition.”

She disclosed that preliminary investigations showed the watermelon had been purchased from Walewale in the North East Region.

“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.”

She added that the District Health Directorate would continue to monitor the patients even after they are discharged from the hospital.

“We still do follow-ups to ensure they remain healthy,” Abazesi said.

On efforts to trace the source of the watermelon, the Director said investigators were yet to speak with the individual who purchased the fruit.

“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 assured the public that the health authorities remain vigilant and will continue to provide updates as investigations into the incident progress.