FOUR students from St. Ambrose Primary School, Light and Third Streets, Alberttown, were yesterday afternoon rushed to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) with symptoms of food poisoning, after reportedly eating hot dogs at school. The children, three of whom were 11-year olds and one – 10 years old, arrived at the institution shortly before 16:00 hrs and were triaged at 16:00 hrs. They were all treated, observed for some time and sent home after their condition had stabilized.
Reports received say that the school had a ‘hot dog’ sale and that the children who fell ill, claimed to have eaten the hot dogs and a beverage made of milk and browning. Soon after eating the snacks, the children reportedly began complaining of the symptoms and were taken to hospital.
And in the Mahaica poisoning saga, three members of the Dharamdat household poisoned after eating a meal of hassar curry were on Tuesday discharged from hospital and are back at home. Those discharged are: 40-year-old Nandranie Dharamdat, and her two daughters  Hamwantie, 15, and Bhunwanteshar also called Shoma, 13. They were discharged after their condition was determined to be sufficiently stable.
Meanwhile, the other two family members from the five admitted last Thursday, were yesterday transferred from the Intensive Care Unit and are now warded at the Male Medical Ward. They are patriarch of the family, Sukdeo Dharamdat, 48, and his 17-year-old son, Chaitram also called Satesh.
When visited by this newspaper, Sukdeo appeared to be stable, even though he had difficulty uttering complete statements and his tone of voice was very low. However, Satesh who assumed a crouching position throughout did not look good and was unable to speak.  He indicated, through signs, that he was having problems with his throat which appeared to be paining. Both men were being fed intraveinously and would not be able to be fed orally for some time yet.
Meanwhile, the 14-year-old who claimed responsibility for the poisoning of the food eaten by five family members appeared in the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and was charged with attempted murder. She was remanded to the Juvenille Centre, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, until February 21, 2012.
Her father yesterday said he had forgiven her, and her mother, Nandranie, on learning that her daughter had been taken into police custody last weekend, broke down and wept bitterly, and over the last two days had plunged deeper into grief.
Last Saturday, whilst visiting her mother and sisters in hospital, the teen  was arrested by police and taken to the Cove and John Police Station where she remained pending her appearance in court on Tuesday. She claimed to have laced the family’s meal with a deadly pesticide before it was served to her relatives.