Six patients still hospitalised after eating contaminated rojak
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 April 2009 2145 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Six patients are still recovering in hospitals after eating contaminated rojak at the Geylang Serai temporary market. Their condition is stable.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the incident points out that hygiene standards in Singapore need to be upgraded.

Hundreds turned up for the funeral of Noraini Kassim, the second person to die after eating contaminated rojak at the Geylang Serai market.

Family members said they are waiting for the report from the National Environment Agency before deciding the next course of action.

In the meantime, pest exterminators were hard at work at the market, catching 63 rats on Wednesday night using 60 metres of cloth, 300 kilogrammes of glue and 100 rat traps.

They believe there are still another 50 rats there, pointing to a cleanliness standard which the Health Minister calls unacceptable.

Mr Khaw said: "During SARS, we were very good, maybe 9/10. After SARS, I think we drop to maybe 5/10 or worse. You look at toilets. Remember the "Toilet is OK" campaign? At that time, it was ok. Now, it is not so ok."

Mr Khaw said he has written to Environment Minister Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, who is currently out of town, to suggest the National Environment Agency uses this opportunity to raise hygiene standards in Singapore.

On his part, the Health Ministry plans to bar any food stall operator with a hygiene rating of C to operate within hospitals.

Those currently graded C will be given three months to shape up.

Mr Khaw added he is happy with the alert levels in hospitals which managed to track down the source of food contamination within a few hours of the first case of food poisoning associated with the rojak.

The Health Ministry said the food poisoning was probably caused by the cross-contamination of rojak and raw seafood ingredients harbouring the bacteria.

Investigations found that food handlers at the rojak stall used the adjacent Mee Siam stall for storing food and washing their equipment.

A food handler at the Mee Siam stall has also been referred to the Communicable Disease Centre for screening. - CNA/vm