SREE NARAYANA MISSION HOME (Steps to prevent recurrence of food poisoning)

Mr Goh Chee Wee asked the Minister for the Environment whether his Ministry has established the cause of the outbreak of food poisoning at the Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick; and what steps his Ministry has taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng) (for the Minister of the Environment): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister.

The recent outbreak of diarrhoea at the Sree Narayana Home was caused by the dysentery bacteria, Shigella. A total of 68 inmates and two ward attendants came down with diarrhoea between 28th April and 15th May 1989. A 78-year old inmate died on 4th May 1989.

Sir, the outbreak is likely to have been caused by food prepared by the Home. The food could have been contaminated by one of the inmates who had helped in the kitchen. The inmate could have earlier been infected with dysentery bacteria after eating food brought in from outside and became a transient carrier.

The Sree Narayana Home was well maintained and the general sanitation, including toilets, was satisfactory. The kitchen in the Home was clean. Food samples taken from meals prepared by the Home, during investigations, were found to be free from dysentery germs. The Home's cooks and their assistants were medically screened and they were also found to be free from dysentery infection.

Sir, the two key factors in the prevention of outbreaks of food borne diseases in Homes for the aged and the destitutes are a high standard of environmental sanitation and good personal hygiene. Managements should avoid enlisting the help of inmates in food preparation and in the kitchen. They should also be on the look-out for diarrhoeal cases and isolate them from the rest of the inmates and then treat them.

As a routine, officers from my Ministry carry out checks to ensure that the environmental sanitation in Homes for the aged and the destitutes are satisfactorily maintained.