Volta Regional Coordinator of Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), Madam Rejoice Afi Agyagbo, says the Junior High School (JHS) students reported to have suffered from a food poisoning incident in the region have been treated and discharged.

Some 21 students from four JHSs in Ho were rushed to the Ho Municipal hospital on Thursday, after complaining of stomach pains and upset, dizziness and weakness.

It was suspected that the previous day's meal of plain rice, beans stew and egg, had caused the food poisoning.  

Ho Municipal Director of Education, Mr Raphael Amenyo, said students from Holy Spirit Basic JHS, Royal Praise, New Seed International and Volta Rising Star JHS complained of stomach pains on Thursday, a day after when they had eaten the meal.

The GSFP Coordinator, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency on Friday after public uproar about the safety of their children appealed to school authorities to ensure that the free meals given them were eaten hot.

He said some of the affected students disclosed that they had eaten their meals nearly 6 hours after it had been served, noting that students who ate the same meals at the time it was served did not suffer the same fate as the others.

He debunked the assertion that the students had been admitted at the hospital, saying that they were "they were treated and discharged accordingly".

He said the Municipal Authorities met with the heads of JHSs and were particularly charged to supervise the "one hot meal a day" initiative to forestall its recurrence.

Mr Amenyo said a meeting with all the caterers involved in the initiative on Monday to chart a common front.