55 students fall sick after lunch at Penang polytechnic

The students earlier attending a lecture hosted by the Election Commission at the polytechnic’s auditorium this morning. (EC Facebook pic)

GEORGE TOWN: A total of 55 students from the Balik Pulau Polytechnic here were rushed to hospital suspected of food poisoning after eating a buffet prepared for a course sponsored by the Election Commission (EC).

State Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said the students had been taken to the Balik Pulau Hospital and were given outpatient treatment.

“The Health Department is checking what caused this incident. As of 11pm, the hospital had treated 55 students,” he said when contacted.

Penang EC director K Raveendran Nair said a total of 250 students had taken part in a voters’ education programme at the polytechnic this morning, between 9am and noon.

He said the EC was deeply concerned over what had taken place and will provide an update once the health authorities had concluded their investigations.

According to Harian Metro, the students had rice, ayam masak merah, hard-boiled eggs and fried cabbage at 11am.

The daily reported that students started complaining of stomach ache at 4pm, with polytechnic authorities ferrying them in a van to the hospital as they reported ill. - FMT