All Children Fully Recovered After Mass Food Poisoning in Tashkent Region Kindergartens

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — All children hospitalized following a mass food poisoning incident in public kindergartens of Tashkent region have fully recovered.

According to Nurmat Atabekov, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Sanitary-Epidemiological Wellbeing and Public Health under the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, as of 14:00 on 30 September, only three children with pre-existing conditions remain under medical supervision for additional treatment. Their condition is stable, and they are expected to be discharged in the coming days.

Preliminary diagnoses indicate that all hospitalized children suffered from acute gastroenteritis. The main cause of the outbreak has been identified as dairy products from the company Shark Milk Product.

As a result of the incident, three officials from the company and four representatives of outsourcing firms supplying food to the kindergartens were detained.

Healthcare facilities in the Tashkent region, which had been operating in an enhanced mode, have returned to normal schedules. The Committee for Sanitary-Epidemiological Wellbeing has intensified control over food services in all educational institutions nationwide.

The Ministry of Preschool and School Education announced that all closed kindergartens will reopen on October 2. At the same time, the quality control system for products supplied by outsourcing companies will be strengthened. Contracts with companies found in violation will be revised or terminated.

The ministry emphasized that children’s health is the highest priority, and any negligence regarding sanitary standards or cost-cutting at the expense of food quality is strictly unacceptable.