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Dr Solwayo Ngwenya

Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
THREE children from a Filabusi family which has so far lost four of its members due to mushroom poisoning are still admitted at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, with one aged four said to be in critical condition.

Seven children and their grandmother, who is still admitted at Filabusi District Hospital, ate poisonous mushrooms last Saturday at home and only sought medical attention on Monday.

One child died at Filabusi District hospital on Tuesday and three others died at Mpilo, one on Wednesday and the other two on Thursday.

Three other children remain in hospital and one of them is critical.Mpilo clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said the two boys aged seven and 10 were stable, but a four-year-old girl was critical.

“We thank God because today we did not witness any deaths due to mushroom poisoning. We are still monitoring the two boys though the little girl is still critical in the intensive care unit,” said Dr Ngwenya.

He said members of the public should not eat wild mushrooms. The death toll of people who have lost their lives after consuming the deadly fungus stands at 15. Eight Filabusi family members ate the poisonous mushrooms on Saturday, leading to the deaths of four of them.

Eleven members of a Mberengwa family who consumed the toxic mushrooms last week, also died.

On Thursday, Insiza District Medical Officer Dr Mandlenkosi Nkala said the Filabusi family was rushed to Filabusi District Hospital on Monday evening after consuming the poisonous mushrooms on Saturday.

“The children’s ages range between three and 10 years and they stay with their grandmother. They say the incident took place on Saturday evening. One child, a girl who is in Grade Seven, is the one who picked the mushrooms and brought them home for granny to cook,” said Dr Nkala. -@thamamoe