Rundu
Forty-eight casual workers at Sikondo Green Scheme Project were rushed to hospital on Monday after they reportedly drank contaminated water.
The 48 workers were taken to the Rundu State Hospital after they showed severe symptoms, such as vomitting and lying prostrate on the ground in the field.
When this reporter drove to the project, an ambulance could be seen driving out with its emergency siren on, followed by a bakkie transporting some of the workers.
The assistant project manager at Sikondo, Maxwell Nghidinwa, said he and the rest of the project management team received a report from the field that some of the contract workers were lying on the ground, looking sickly, while others were vomiting profusely.
“Upon our arrival at the scene, we observed several employees vomiting and so we immediately called an ambulance, which assisted us,” he said.
Among those rushed to hospital were six workers, who did not show any symptoms, but who were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
Although it is unclear at this stage what exactly caused the sickness, speculation is rife that the water the workers drank may have been contaminated.
“It is still unclear what caused the problem and we are waiting for the Namibian Institute Of Pathology lab at the Rundu State Hospital to do some tests. Only then we will all know the cause,” Nghidinwa added.
All the workers spent the night in hospital and are now said to be out of danger and in a stable condition.
Rundu State Hospital medical superintendent Dr Yuri Yangazov said all the green scheme workers would possibly be discharged today, as they are in a stable condition.
“We still don’t know what really happened, as they all have a different version of what happened at the farm, but health inspectors will go and investigate as they are already informed [about the situation],” Dr Yangazov said.