Tashkent Region Governor Orders Dismissal of All Sanitary Service Heads After Mass Food Poisoning of Children

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Following a mass food poisoning incident involving children in kindergartens across Tashkent region, regional governor Zoyir Mirzayev has demanded the dismissal of all heads of the sanitary and epidemiological service (SES). He made the statement during the 20th session of the regional council of people’s deputies in Nurafshan.

“All SES officials must be removed from their positions — starting from the regional level, every one of them,” Mirzayev was quoted as saying by Daryo.

According to him, medicines worth 5–6 billion soums were used to treat the affected children. “God saved us that time. If those medicines had not been available on time, I don’t know how it would have ended,” he stressed.

Mirzayev also said that the number of suspects in the case had risen to 11, up from the previously reported seven. “The outsourcing system will be held accountable under the law. Currently, 11 people are under arrest,” he added.

The incident occurred on 25 September in the Pskent and Buka districts. On that day, 109 children were hospitalized with symptoms of poisoning, though their condition was reported as stable. In the following days, the total number of reported cases rose to 1,922; however, the diagnosis was not confirmed in more than 930 of them, and those children were discharged home.

As of the morning of 26 September, 961 children remained under medical supervision, including 941 in mild condition and 22 in moderate condition. The affected children came from kindergartens in the Buka, Pskent, Bekabad, Akkurgan, and Kuyichirchik districts. Some were transferred to hospitals in Almalyk and Nurafshan due to a shortage of beds.

By 30 September, all the children had recovered, and the previously closed kindergartens resumed operations.

The Investigation Department under the Tashkent Regional Police launched a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 257-1 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code (violation of sanitary legislation or epidemic control rules). The investigation is ongoing.