MOE TO CONDUCT FULL PROBE INTO FOOD POISONING INCIDENT AT KOTA BHARU SCHOOL

GUA MUSANG, April 23 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Education (MOE) will conduct a full, detailed, and thorough investigation into the incident of students of a secondary school in Kota Bharu suffering from food poisoning.

Its minister, Fadhlina Sidek said her ministry took a serious view of the incident and will not comprise.

She said action regarding the matter had been taken by the State Education Department together with the Ministry of Health.

"The schoolchildren's health cannot be compromised and follow-up action is being taken to investigate the cause of the food poisoning." she said.

"In addition, the allegation that 400 school students who suffered from food poisoning is also being investigated by us."

She said this when asked to comment on the food poisoning incident involving over a dozen schoolchildren. She said this after launching the 'Majlis Peluncuran Bahan Enhancing Reading Through Digital Text', under the literacy programme for Orang Asli and Indigenous students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Betis here today.

Meanwhile, the mother of one of the affected students said she hoped that the school would be more careful in preparing food for students to prevent any unwanted incidents from happening at the same time affecting the health of the students.

"My child had just returned from a camp held in the school on Friday and Saturday, and at about 6.30 pm began showing signs of food poisoning such as dizziness, vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea," she said.

According to her, the last thing the students who attended the camp ate was white rice together with fried chicken and curry, and it seems the fried chicken smelt off.

"According to the information obtained, some 400 students participated in this leadership camp and out of this number, more than 50 students suffered from food poisoning, including some who had to be warded.

"I hope that the school, especially the school canteen, will be more careful in providing food to students since this is not the first incident involving food poisoning involving students at the school," she said when contacted today.

Yesterday, the media reported that about 20 female students of a secondary school in Kota Bharu received treatment after suspected food poisoning.

Today, Kelantan health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin confirmed that 75 students at a secondary school in Kota Bharu suffered from food poisoning after being suspected of being served chicken last Saturday.

Those involved in in the food poisoning incident were between the ages of 13 and 17, and none were reported to have been warded.

-- BERNAMA