More than 1,000 workers at a Hong Kong-invested garment company in Haiphong City were hospitalised on suspicion of food poisoning.
Hong Kong wholly-invested Regina Mirade International Vietnam Company has around 3,000 workers. After taking lunch on December 28, the workers faced signs of food poisoning such as dizziness, vomiting, headaches and diarrhoea.
The workers faced signs of food poisoning
Staff were taken to many local hospitals for the treatment as Thuy Nguyen District Hospital could only treat 150 patients at that time.
Several people remained in hospital overnight.
The lunch on December 28 included rice, meat, cabbage, fish and yogurt which was provided by Bao Chau Food Company. Bao Chau staff prepared the meals at Regina Mirade’s kitchens.
Speaking to reporters, director of Haiphong Department of Health Pham Thu Xanh said that inspectors of the department took food samples for testing and the results would be announced today, December 29. She added that the kitchen of the company has not yet been licensed for operation.
Nguyen Tran Lanh, Chairman of Thuy Nguyen District People's Committee said that the newly-opened garment factory was just going through its initial operations, so its workers were still on probation and had not yet been provided with social insurance. The company will have to pay the entire treatment fees for the workers.
Workplace canteens are becoming the centre of increasing numbers of food poisoning incidents. On October 15, the medical centre at Cho Gao District in Tien Giang Province received 101 workers from the Wondo Vina Company because of food poisoning. On July 22, about 200 workers from the Meraki Company in Binh Duong Province were hospitalised.
The Vietnam Food Administration reported 84 major food poisoning cases over the past five years, a problem compounded by the low funding companies are prepared to spend on staff meals, with the average price at a meagre VND15,000 (USD0.6) per person. Most workplace canteen kitchens also lack food safety certification.
