174 Hospitalized in Suspected Food Poisoning Incident at Scavi Hue Textile Company

A suspected mass food poisoning incident at the Scavi Hue Textile Company in Hue City, Vietnam, has resulted in 174 people being hospitalized. The Ministry of Health's Food Safety Department has instructed relevant agencies to conduct an urgent investigation and take swift action. On September 11, employees at the Scavi Hue Textile Company in Phong Dien district, Hue City, reported symptoms of food poisoning and were transported to facilities including the second campus of Hue Central Hospital. Chu Quoc Thinh, Director of the Food Safety Department, has urged the Hue City Department of Health to provide intensive treatment for patients, collect and test food and biological samples to determine the cause, strictly penalize any violations of food safety regulations, and publicly disclose the findings. The department has also requested local authorities to enhance public awareness regarding compliance with food safety conditions for food service establishments, strict control over the source of raw materials, thorough hygiene management during preparation, processing, transportation, and storage, and warnings for food provided at large events. The Hue City Department of Health has directed its subordinate units to strictly implement preventive measures against food poisoning, particularly strengthening food safety management in collective kitchens and school canteens, in accordance with directives from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health. It has also requested reports on investigation results and countermeasures to the Food Safety Department. As of the afternoon of September 12, 19 patients were being treated at the Phong Dien District Medical Center and 155 at the second campus of Hue Central Hospital. The city's health department is proceeding with the collection and testing of food and biological samples to identify the cause. Source: Nhan Dan