32 people of Magoye area in Mazabuka District have been admitted at Mazabuka General Hospital after they drunk what is suspected to have been poisoned local traditional brew called Chibwantu.
Magoye area Member of Parliament Emerson Machila who confirmed the development in an interview with the Lusaka Star said the affected victims were rushed to the hospital yesterday around 14 hours after consuming the poisonous Chibwantu.
Mr Machila explained that the incident occurred after a named person in the area organized a mechanic to repair his car and other people came to help and in the process they prepared the brew.
“They consumed the brew and later on they started paging water like stool and were complaining of severe headache,” he explained.
The Magoye lawmaker explained that 20 people were still admitted in Mazabuka General Hospital, two were admitted in Musuma clinic while the 10 who had been discharged were still complaining of severe headaches.
And Mazabuka Mayor Vincent Lilanda who had urged health authorities to treat the matter seriously.
Mr Lilanda said it was unfortunate that the medical superintendent at the General Hospital was only being informed on Tuesday afternoon via phone for a decision, when the matter, in fact, should have been treated as an emergency since people were admitted on Monday.
He has since called on health authorities to ensure both Musuma and Mungile clinics have Environmental health technologists.