Hundreds of workers poisoned
Hundreds of workers poisoned
JAKARTA (JP): Three hospitals released yesterday a total of
192 ceramists who were diagnosed with food poisoning on Friday.
They were part of 234 workers, from two ceramic manufacturers
owned by PT Surya Toto Indonesia (STI) in Serpong and Cikupa,
admitted to the hospitals on Friday.
"Forty people from PT STI Serpong were sent to hospital on
Friday," said Boneng, a security officer of PT STI.
The food poisoning was caused by the employees' lunch at the
two plants on Thursday, which was provided by the same caterer.
They had rice, fried tuna and fried tempeh.
Boneng said the symptoms began a few hours after lunch, with
the employees complaining of stomach aches and headaches. The
management decided to take the employees to the hospitals on
Friday.
The hospitals providing treatment are Sari Asih, Qodr, and
Husada Insani, all in Tangerang.
The security officer declined to reveal further information on
the incident.
Forty-two employees are still receiving treatment at the three
hospitals, 22 of which are in Sari Asih.
A nurse on duty at Sari Asih said their condition were stable.
"When they arrived, most of them were suffering from the same
symptoms; stomach ache, headache, vomiting and diarrhea. Most of
them are strong and healthy, we only needed to give first aid
treatment," the nurse told said.
During the last six months there have been at least three
incidents of food poisoning in factories.
In the latest case, on June 25, up to 152 construction workers
in West Jakarta were hospitalized after eating at a food stall
near the construction site of a high-rise building on Jl. Gajah
Mada.
In May, 62 paper factory workers suffering from food poisoning
had to be admitted to a hospital in East Jakarta .
In Cakung, North Jakarta, the managers of a raincoat factory
transported 86 workers to a nearby hospital. Sixty-three were
later discharged after treatment.
School students have also become victims of food poisoning. In
April, the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital admitted the three
students from a school in Lampung, South Sumatra. They had eaten
mung bean porridge, provided through a food supplement program
for poor villages. (04)