Ministry of Health directs investigation and handling of suspected food poisoning case in Dong Thap

Accordingly, the Food Safety Department said it received a preliminary report from the Dong Thap Provincial Department of Health about the suspected food poisoning incident at Dong Thap University.

The incident occurred after everyone had lunch on April 6. The meal was provided by a cooking facility in Cao Lanh City. According to the report, 33 students, teachers, and volunteers showed symptoms of stomachache, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The Food Safety Department requested the Dong Thap Provincial Department of Health to urgently organize an investigation and trace the origin of food to clearly identify the source of raw materials and food for the processing facility suspected of causing poisoning; Organize the collection of food samples and specimens for testing to find the cause.

The Food Safety Department requires the temporary suspension of operations of meal processing facilities suspected of causing food poisoning if it detects a risk of further food poisoning.

Strictly handle violations of food safety regulations (if any) and publicize the results to promptly warn the community.

The Department of Health strengthens management measures, especially in collective kitchens and food service establishments to limit the risk of food poisoning.

The Food Safety Department also proposed to strengthen propaganda and guidance for collective kitchens and food service establishments to strictly control the origin and source of food ingredients, ensure hygiene during the process of preliminary processing, processing, and transportation of food, food safety conditions, 3-step food inspection, and food sample storage.

Dong Thap Provincial Department of Health synthesizes the reporting results to the Department of Food Safety according to regulations.

Previously, on the morning of April 8, the provincial Department of Health informed about a suspected food poisoning incident at Dong Thap University and is continuing to coordinate with other sectors to verify and clarify the cause of the incident.

According to the Department of Health, on the afternoon of April 6, the Department of Health received information from the Cao Lanh City Medical Center that a student participating in the STEM Festival at Dong Thap University had symptoms of suspected food poisoning and was hospitalized at Dong Thap General Hospital.

Investigation results show that on April 6, about 3,500 students and teachers attending the STEM Festival at Dong Thap University had lunch from 10:30 to 12:00 with the following dishes: white rice, minced pork soup with jute leaves, braised pork with duck eggs, fried lemongrass salted chicken (provided by a facility on Tran Hung Dao Street, Ward 1, Cao Lanh City) and bottled water from production facilities outside the school...

In addition, the Organizing Committee also serves drinks including: labeled fresh milk, canned milk and milk tea brought to the event location by Nguyen Tat Thanh University, processed on-site and distributed free of charge.

At around 1:30 p.m. on April 6, some students participating in the event began to have symptoms of stomachache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. By 4 p.m. on April 6, a total of 33 people had symptoms of stomachache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Of these, 29 people (mostly students from other provinces) were transferred to Dong Thap General Hospital for health monitoring. By 8:30 p.m. the same day, all 29 cases were hospitalized for treatment.

The Medical Center coordinated with the Cao Lanh City Health Department and related sectors to establish an interdisciplinary food safety inspection team to conduct surprise inspections of compliance with food safety regulations at places where food poisoning incidents occurred, and to inspect compliance with food safety regulations at food suppliers located in Ward 1, Cao Lanh City.

As of 5:00 p.m. on April 7, 16/29 cases have been discharged from the hospital, 13 are still being treated, and 4 cases have mild symptoms and are self-monitoring at home, and their health has recovered.

It is expected that all remaining suspected food poisoning cases being treated at Dong Thap General Hospital will soon be discharged due to their stable health condition.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/bo-y-te-chi-dao-dieu-tra-xu-ly-vu-nghi-ngo-ngo-doc-thuc-pham-o-dong-thap-post871140.html