Primary school pupils on ARVs after classmate pricks them with syringes

Pupils of a Kempton Park primary school have been put on antiretroviral drugs after a pupil injected class mates with syringes last week.

“The Gauteng Department of Education can confirm that a Grade 4 learner brought syringes at ... Mooifontein Primary School on Friday and she and two friends allegedly started injecting fellow pupils‚” Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona said on Wednesday.

“According to the family of the said learner‚ she used her sister’s bag and only realised when she was in class that there were needless in the bag.”

The department said the school informed parents of approximately 28 pricked pupils‚ and advised them to rush their children to medical practitioners for urgent medical attention.

“As a precautionary measure‚ medication was administered to learners i.e. ARVs or Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). Unfortunately‚ some pupils reacted negatively to medication by vomiting‚ while others experienced running stomachs.”

Mabona said the syringes had been taken to a laboratory for tests.

“A process to conduct counselling to all affected learners has commenced and will continue until the reintegration of pupils to the school is concluded‚” Mabona said.

He said the school governing body had started a disciplinary process against the perpetrators.

A case has been opened against the owner of the syringes‚ the department said.

“This is indeed an unfortunate incident to occur in a schooling environment‚ we call upon parents to always be cautious on things that might be detrimental to childrens' lives.”