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FOUR athletes and three members of staff at Lusaka’s Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) were yesterday treated of suspected food poisoning.
The seven were rushed to Chipata township clinic in the morning yesterday after showing persistent food poisoning symptoms.
The same seven people were later moved to Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital.
OYDC director Clement Chileshe confirmed in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the seven were victims of suspected food poisoning.
Chileshe, however, could not disclose the names of the victims.
“It is true that we had such a case but all the victims have been treated and are all discharged. We are suspecting it could be food poisoning or contamination but we will only know the exact cause after investigations,” he said.
This is the first time such a case has occurred at the centre since it was opened in 2010.
Chileshe said an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the incident will be done and that preparing of meals has been suspended.
“They started early morning [yesterday]. It is definitely the food they might have eaten last [Wednesday] night,” he said.
Chileshe said the four athletes are part of the scholarship programme, which has been on-going for the past three years.
“We will get specialists to get samples of all the food at the centre. For now, all the meals have been suspended until investigations are complete. The athletes are in the scholarship programme, which has been on-going for the past three years. They were being lodged at nearby lodges but moved to the centre after our lodge was completed,” he said.
Of the six athletes under the scholarship programme, three are accommodated at OYDC.
Chileshe said the incident may hinder the process of turning OYDC into a High Performance Centre.
