46 cops hospitalized with food poisoning

Hasrul, The Jakarta Post, Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi

At least 46 police officers have been hospitalized in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, for allegedly being poisoned after eating food served on their way home from attending a five-month training course in neighboring South Sulawesi.

They are receiving intensive care at Bayangkara hospital on Jl. La Ute, Kendari, with some in critical condition.

The patients remained weak on Friday, with intravenous drips attached to them.

A doctor at the hospital said he suspected the police officers were poisoned by food they ate while returning home from Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Dec. 31, 2003.

However, the exact cause could not yet be determined as an investigation was under way at Prodia Clinic, he added.

The doctor, who wished to remain anonymous, said several of those in critical condition were recovering after two days of medical care.

The police officers had reportedly been rushed to the hospital, starting Wednesday. There were only nine patients at first but 20 more joined them the following day. On Friday, their number rose to 46.

It was not clear what food they had eaten on their journey.

However, spokesman for Southeast Sulawesi Police Sr. Comr. Muharrom Riyadi said his office was not sure that the patients had been poisoned by food.

"They are probably suffering from diarrhea or from being poisoned," he added.

The police were investigating the case by testing urine samples from the patients at a laboratory in Makassar, Muharrom said. "In the next two or three days the outcome of the tests might be known."

Another local senior police officer Sr. Comr. Didie Suriono said similarly he was sure that the hospitalized officers were suffering from diarrhea from suspect food they had consumed during their trip.

Fatigue caused the patients to be highly prone to diarrhea after attending the five-month training course at the State Police School (SPN) in Makassar, he argued.

"That's why I don't believe that the victims were poisoned," Didie added.

The 46 patients were among 272 police officers who had attended the training course.