At least 77 Russian children hospitalized with food poisoning in Ukraine

At least 77 Russian children hospitalized with food poisoning in Ukraine

2011-07-14 00:55:29 GMT+7 (ICT)

KIEV (BNO NEWS) -- At least 77 Russian children and nine adults have been hospitalized with food poisoning in Ukraine, a statement from the Ukrainian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

According to the Ukrainian News Agency, the children were on holiday at the Albatross health improvement camp in the village of Liubimovka, Nakhimovskyi district of the city of Sevastopol. They were taken to the hospital starting from July 12 with signs of food poisoning.

The State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service said most of the victims, aged from 8 to 15, were diagnosed with food poisoning. A total of 293 children from Russia, aged between 8 and 16, are currently staying in the camp.

Healthcare Minister Oleksandr Anischenko told a news briefing that the ministry is determined to discharge Sevastopol chief sanitary officer Volodymyr Tarasov after authorities found serious sanitary violations at the Albatross health improvement establishment.

"He [chief sanitary officer of Sevastopol] or his employees made a mistake, to put it mildly, when allowed opening such an establishment," Anischenko said.

He said poor quality ice-cream might have caused the poisoning in Albatross. The minister says that all the patients are in satisfactory condition and one child is believed to be in medium severity condition.

The Sevastopol City Prosecutors' Office filed a criminal case upon mass poisoning on Tuesday.

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