On the evening of September 16, a collective food poisoning incident occurred at Zhizhen Middle School in Dongdaihe New District, Suizhong County, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. Parents protested at the school, but the issue has not been properly resolved to this day.
On September 17, the Liaoning Huludao Suizhong County Food Safety Committee issued a notification stating that on the evening of the 16th at 19:00, some students at Zhizhen Middle School experienced symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Currently, 5 students have been treated and discharged from the hospital, 11 students are receiving outpatient treatment with intravenous fluids and remain hospitalized for observation, and the remaining students with mild symptoms have been taken home by their parents for observation. The preliminary cause of the incident is believed to be improper cooking and processing of food in the school cafeteria, leading to acute gastroenteritis among the students.
Although the official report did not disclose the number of poisoned individuals, according to the mainland media outlet “Citizens Concerned,” after contacting the Yulong Hospital, it was confirmed that more than 80 children sought medical attention on the night of the 16th, with three other local hospitals also receiving students from the school experiencing discomfort.
A parent named Mr. Li, who accompanied his daughter to Yulong Hospital for treatment, told a reporter that his daughter was brought to the hospital by ambulance on the night of the 16th. She was experiencing vomiting, and after a blood test that evening, the doctor informed the parents that there were bacteria present in her blood.
Mr. Li mentioned that the issue stemmed from the school cafeteria dinner, involving mushrooms and meat, but he was unsure of the exact dishes his child consumed. He expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clear information. The government has not yet provided specific measures or solutions regarding this incident.
According to Mr. Li, nearly a hundred students sought medical treatment, and many of them had to go to Qinhuangdao for medical care.
He also mentioned that on the night of the incident and throughout the day on the 17th, many parents went to the school seeking answers but received no concrete results.
Ms. Liu’s daughter is a first-year high school student at the school. She mentioned that the students affected by food poisoning were mainly from the junior high section, where there are more first-year students. She remarked that her child was unaffected as her stomach was accustomed to such situations, but the first-year students were severely impacted.
Ms. Liu revealed that since the start of the school year on September 1, the feedback on the school cafeteria meals has been consistently poor, with many children experiencing stomach issues after eating. Parents had been reporting problems with the cafeteria food to the school without any resolution thus far.
She further mentioned that 90% of the school’s students come from Hebei Province, as the cutoff score for the Liaoning College Entrance Examination is nearly 100 points lower than that of Hebei province. Many parents spare no expense to buy houses in Liaoning for their children’s education and future.
Following the food poisoning incident, the school’s officials have not issued a response, leaving parents feeling helpless, while classes continue as usual. The local Education Bureau claimed that the private school cafeteria has been taken over by the public school’s cafeteria.