Group falls sick after Pulau Perhentian trip

 

Pulau Perhentian Kecil is about 45 minutes by boat from Kuala Besut in Terengganu. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: A three-night holiday to Pulau Perhentian Kecil ended in a nightmare for a group of visitors who fell sick after going for a swim in the sea.

Hasan Yahaya was among the group of 27 adults, seven children and six toddlers. He told FMT that some of them had bouts of nausea and vomiting after a recent visit to the island.

“Some were already feeling uneasy during the trip, but we did not think much of it,” he said. “We thought they were just exposed to the sun for too long or feeling seasick.”

He said some in the group suffered diarrhoea and high fever soon after their return and several were hospitalised.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Ads by 

A one-year-old was diagnosed with typhoid and two other toddlers had blood poisoning, he said.

Hasan said he was now wondering whether raw sewage had seeped into the sea.

There are about 50 resorts on Pulau Perhentian, which is about 22km off Kuala Besut, Terengganu, and about 45 minutes by boat.

In June, FMT reported an incident involving six women who suffered food poisoning despite heeding the advice of resort officials to eat only at the resort because of “rising cases of food poisoning”.

Holidaymakers to the island have left negative reviews on several popular travel websites. Some claim to have suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea after their stay there.

Hasan said his sister had filed complaints with the resort’s management and lodged reports with the Kuala Besut health department and the health ministry.

So far, he said, only the ministry had followed up, asking for particulars of those hospitalised.

He alleged that the other complaints had fallen on deaf ears. “They don’t seem to take this seriously. It is tarnishing their reputation and is incurring unnecessary costs for those who have had to be admitted into hospitals.

“Action must be taken by the relevant parties to solve this recurring issue. Otherwise, the country’s tourism industry will suffer.”

FMT has contacted the resort’s management, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and the Kuala Besut health department for comment but has yet to hear from them. - FMT