Hundreds of students rushed to hospital with food poisoning

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung

About 300 elementary school students in Bandung were taken to Rajawali hospital on Wednesday for suspected food poisoning after they were given free milk in a promotion.

On Wednesday morning, hundreds of students from seven different schools located on Jl. Dadali complained of headaches and vomiting after they drank free Realgood cream milk and cereals provided by six promotional representatives of PT Supra Sumber Cipta, the distributor of Realgood producer PT Greenfield.

Tarazullah, 10, a student at Garuda III elementary school, said half an hour after drinking a glass of milk, his head began to hurt and soon after he vomited.

Others, including Annisa, 11, a student at Garuda IV elementary school, said she suffered from similar symptoms. Students had to compete to use the school toilets and the crying children left parents and teachers in confusion, Annisa's mother, Sumarni, said.

Parents and teachers tried to calm the distraught students and took them to the nearby Rajawali hospital.

Four cars belonging to PT Supra Sumber Cipta were used to help take the students to the hospital and teaching at some of the schools stopped for the day.

Djumari, a teacher at Garuda IV elementary school said other companies had distributed free milk to students at the school before but the incident on Wednesday was the first.

Djumari, who led the teachers and parents escorting the students to hospital, said that some 300 students from different schools had been admitted to the hospital by 12 p.m. They were examined by hospital doctors and were allowed to return home in the afternoon.

Garuda III elementary school principle Hetiyantini said only 11 students from her school were brought to the hospital for medical treatment.

She estimated the total number of students admitted to the hospital was much less than Djumari's figure.

Doctor Robert Adiwinata said food poisoning was the likely cause of the sickness but said further laboratory examinations were necessary to specify the problem. Following the incident, police questioned the six representatives of PT Supra Sumber Cipta.

Meanwhile, distribution promotions manager Ichsanuddin rejected the charge food poisoning was the cause of sickness. "The (affected) students apparently did not have breakfast, so they (would more) easily get headaches and they vomited after drinking the milk," he said.

"Moreover, they were exhausted after they had their morning physical exercise."

Ichsanuddin said his company would pay all the medical bills for the children.