Children hospitalized for drinking Ribena

Children hospitalized for drinking Ribena

Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya

Around 40 students of public elementary school SDN Barata Jaya I
in the country's second biggest city, Surabaya, East Java, had to
be hospitalized with suspected food poisoning shortly after
drinking a beverage on Tuesday.

The local police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Sudibyo said
the victims and their parents reported that the children suddenly
suffered breathing problems and stomach cramps after consuming
Ribena drinks produced by PT Saji Indonesia.

Teachers at the school in Gubeng subdistrict brought the sick
students to hospital, he added.

"Of the 40 children, 20 were taken to the Navy Hospital in
Surabaya and the rest to several other hospitals nearby," Sudibyo
said.

The police detained a number of salespersons who had
distributed boxes of the grape-flavored beverage free of charge
to the victims.

"The salespersons promoting the beverage claimed they didn't
know it was dangerous as it had also been distributed in other
schools across Indonesia and had no (negative) effects," Sudibyo
said.

He said the police were also questioning some of the victims
and their teachers as part of the investigation, while waiting
for laboratory test results as to what had actually caused the
children to fall ill.

"We are also seeking statements from the owner of the firm
that produces Ribena. If there is any element of intent, the
company can be subjected to criminal sanctions," Sudibyo added.

At the Navy Hospital, some of the ill students are still
receiving infusions. However, others had been allowed to return
home.

The hospital's emergency unit head, Dr. Col. Bambang, said
many of the victims were queasy and weak.

The results of the laboratory tests will be known on
Wednesday, he said.

Arum, one of the hospitalized students, said she had
experienced breathing difficulties and severe stomach cramps
after drinking the Ribena.

"I didn't think there could be anything wrong with it as its
expiry date was given as July 16, 2004," she explained.