The Moroccan city of Tetouan witnessed a food poisoning incident affecting 20 children who were spending their summer vacation at a camp on Azla beach, 15 kilometers from the city.
The children were urgently transported to the Sania R’mel Regional Hospital in Tetouan on Saturday, August 17, 2024, after consuming fast food meals from a restaurant, which caused them to develop symptoms of poisoning, particularly severe abdominal pain.
In a statement to 2M channel, Hicham Hayoun, the general supervisor of Tetouan Hospital, confirmed that the cases arriving at six in the morning were immediately examined by an emergency physician.
Hayoun added that although most cases were mild, four of them required special attention due to severe abdominal pain and fever. All children received the necessary treatment and left the hospital after their condition improved.
Following this incident, the governor of Tetouan province ordered the formation of a joint committee to visit the incident site to follow up on investigations and verify compliance with health safety standards at the camp.
This incident has sparked a wide debate about the authorities’ negligence in monitoring commercial establishments, especially those dealing with food, putting citizens’ lives, particularly children, at risk.
The case has also aroused widespread indignation and raised questions about the stringency of measures taken to ensure food safety in the summer, a period that sees high demand for restaurants and fast food, especially from children who are more vulnerable to risks.