Health MEC warns of new drug
Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo has expressed shock at the speed killer drugs are reaching other parts of the province.
KZN Health MEC, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo is appealing to parents to closely monitor the behaviour and conduct of their children to ascertain whether they are involved in drugs.
This follows statistics that revealed that 23 school-going age children were admitted for drug overdoses over the Easter holidays in various Pietermaritzburg-based hospitals.
“We are really shocked and dismayed at the speed in which this killer drug is mushrooming. Just last weekend families in the North of Durban were mourning and burying their two under 20-year-old children and now we learn of this! There is a 20 year old girl in a very bad condition admitted at Northdale Hospital who mentioned this drug. As schools open this week, we are afraid that this drug taking may extensively expand and reach other areas,” cautions Dhlomo.
The Pietermaritzburg episode being dealt with now comes in at the heels of the KwaMashu and Reunion area heavy drug intake that saw 44 children being admitted and two losing their lives after taking what has been labelled a “killer ecstasy” drug which goes by the name, Mercedes.
MEC Dhlomo said parents can assist and intervene if they notice telling symptoms in their children such as auditory hallucination, hearing voices, visual hallucination, seeing things that other people don’t, delusional feelings of greatness, dehydration, aggressiveness, depression, vomiting, as well as severe abdominal pain.
“We should by all means get involved as we are told that at initial intake this drug does make one feel good and that leads to overdose, we are thus calling upon all the relevant stakeholders to mount their campaigns to fight this calamity,” said the MEC.
While no arrests have been made yet regarding the incidents in KwaMashu, and KwaZulu-Natal, South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Major Thulane Zwane, says a task team has
been established to investigate cases of drug abuse. The SAPS have urged community members to come forward with any information that could help them track down the distributor.
