CAIRO: The Ministry of Health said it has examined Sunday oral rehydration solutions allegedly blamed for the death of three, out of 30 children hospitalized in Upper Egypt’s governorate of Beni Suef.
During the past two days, three hospitals in Beni Suef received some 30 children with common symptoms of “intestinal catarrh,” health ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told The Cairo Post Monday.
The children aged between four months to four years, Abdel Ghaffar said.
He assured that the number of children suffering from the said symptoms is “normal” and that the hot weather seen in Egypt this week is behind their sickness.
After the children received rehydration solution as supportive measures to their fever, they reportedly suffered convulsions, continuous vomiting and fainting.
“My daughter had severe diarrhea, she received rehydration solution at the Central Hospital and then suffered convulsions,” father of 11-month year old Marwa Ahmed told Youm7. He added that the hospital refused to give him a report saying the solution is behind his daughter’s sickness.
“The rehydration solution has stopped at the hospital until results show the reasons for the death of three children,” Abdel Ghaffar added.
He noted that although a third child, who also died Sunday, had received the solution, but the cause of his death was reported as due to “inflammation in brain cells.”
The injected rehydration solution is part of a new patch delivered to the hospitals five days ago, Abdel Ghaffar said. He explained that the new patch is being examined, adding that days before the incident, children were taking the old stock of the solution and no complaints were reported.