Health Department in food poisoning probe after students at event fall ill

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KUCHING: The Health Department is believed to be probing suspected food poisoning suffered by students attending a quiz programme at Borneo 744 here last Saturday.

A parent told The Borneo Post that his wife received a call yesterday from the Health Department to enquire about their son’s condition and to find out what he had eaten during the event.

“The quiz programme was a whole day event and ended at about 5pm on Saturday. My son said they had a break at 3pm and were served  nasi lemak and given bottled mineral water.

“After the programme, we went to church when, after the service, my son complained of feeling ill. Later at home around 9pm, he was very weak after vomiting several times while also having diarrhoea and stomach cramp,” said the parent.

He said his son’s sickness continued until the following day, prompting him to purchase medicine at a pharmacy nearby.

“He stayed back from school on Monday to recover. I received a call from his teacher about his absence, and it was then that the teacher told me that several other students from her school had also fallen ill after attending the same programme.”

He said after the teacher disclosed to him that some of the schoolmates needed hospitalisation because of their illness, he brought his son to the Sarawak General Hospital A&E Department in the afternoon for treatment.

Meanwhile, sources affiliated to the programme said the nasi lemak and drink served to the students were obtained from an outside caterer.

The event organisers when contacted said they were unable to disclose anything pending the result of the probe by the Health Department.

Attempts to contact the Health Department yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.