P'nP panic starts to rise
2003-07-12 09:51
Cape Town - Staff members at the poison centre at the Tygerberg Hospital have nearly been run off their feet, answering telephone calls from worried Capetonians who think their tummy aches may have something to do with the Pick 'n Pay food terrorist.
Dr Mariska van Tonder says it seems as if many people are worried following the incidents of cyanide poisoning found in few Pick 'n Pay products.
"Many people have ordinary gastro-enteritis, but they are scared because they had eaten something bought at Pick 'n Pay.
She says that "if the patients had cyanide poisoning, similar to that of the three Pick 'n Pay customers, they would have had totally different symptoms.
"Cyanide is one of fastest working poisons because it's absorbed very quickly into the blood stream. Acute poisoning includes, amongst others, dizziness, quick breathing, vomiting, flushed cheeks and heart palpitations.
Usually people lose conscious and have convulsions immediately afterwards.
Van Tonder says one could die within minutes, depending on the amount of cyanide ingested.
Dr Andrew Jamieson of the Medinfo medical information service, says he had also heard of patients in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban complaining. They described their symptoms, saying they could be feeling ill because of something they had eaten.
"Many had symptoms such as tummy ache, vomiting or diarrhoea, but no real case of food poisoning had been admitted. Most of the symptoms could be attributed to something else.
Several hospitals and doctors contacted by Die Burger, said they hadn't seen more patients than normal complaining of food poisoning.
Pick 'n Pay confirmed recently that three of its clients had become ill because of cyanide poisoning after eating something bought from the food giant.
The extortionist started blackmailing Pick 'n Pay two months ago.