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)