On September 17, the Ministry of Health sent a dispatch to the Gia Lai Provincial Department of Health regarding the suspected food poisoning of 21 students at Ton Duc Thang Secondary School (Pleiku City).
Accordingly, the Food Safety Department requested the Gia Lai Provincial Department of Health to urgently suspend the operation of food suppliers suspected of causing food poisoning.
Authorities organize investigations and trace the origin of food to clearly identify the source of raw materials and food supplied to processing facilities suspected of causing poisoning.
The Provincial Food Safety Branch and the Pleiku City Health Center collect food samples and specimens for testing to find the cause. When detected, it is necessary to strictly handle violations of food safety regulations (if any) and publicize the results to promptly warn the community.
As reported by Lao Dong Newspaper, on the evening of September 15, class 7.1 of Ton Duc Thang Secondary School held a party to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival 2024 with a total of 45 students participating. Of these, 34/45 students drank milk tea purchased by the class's Parents' Association from the Co Ba Saigon milk tea establishment (located in Hoi Thuong ward, Pleiku city).
At around 9:00 a.m. on September 16, 21/34 students showed symptoms of suspected food poisoning, including stomach pain and nausea.
Of these, 1 student was hospitalized at Hoang Anh Gia Lai University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital; 1 student went to Thong Nhat Ward Health Station for examination. The remaining 19 students with mild symptoms were taken home by their parents for monitoring.
Authorities have taken samples of milk tea and sealed them to serve the investigation and clarify the cause.
