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Concession by restaurant given after meeting parents; MOH findings still pending
A RESTAURANT in City Square Mall has apologised and offered to compensate parents whose children fell sick after dining there last week.
Nine children – all Primary 6 pupils – had eaten lunch at the Saizeriya Italian Restaurant and later came down with diarrhoea and vomiting.
They were from tuition centre Learning Habitat. Its principal had taken them to the restaurant for lunch.
Post-lunch Woes - Said principal Lee Canning: “I had made a reservation for our teachers and kids. They shared food like pasta, escargot, beef and pizza.
“About an hour after lunch, during lessons, three kids started complaining about stomach aches.”
She added that she became alarmed when one of them vomited. “I went to the restaurant, accompanied by City Square’s management. I had thought they would be concerned and wanted to inform them.”
Ms Lee said a member of the restaurant staff had denied the restaurant was responsible, said the children were not used to eating “such food” and that they were running around in the restaurant.
The children were eventually taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and were discharged after observation the same day.
In an e-mail response, the mall’s management said it was aware of the incident, adding that it had arranged a meeting between the restaurant, parents of the children involved and the tuition centre yesterday.
A parent present at the meeting said the discussion – which ended with the restaurant apologising and offering compensation – had lasted more than two hours.
Said the housewife, who declined to be named: “They did not specify the exact compensation but we are awaiting a response. I was very angry at first because of their denials. Now, I will see if they will provide a favourable and sincere response.”
When contacted, the restaurant referred The Straits Times to a Mr Ng, who said the restaurant was waiting for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to come back with its findings.
The National Environment Agency had also inspected the restaurant with MOH a day after the incident and found it to be “satisfactorily maintained”.
The food handlers have been sent for screening and food samples were taken for analysis. The laboratory results are still pending, and enforcement action will be taken if any food sample is found to be unfit for consumption.
Said Ms Lee: “The whole day was chaotic and we visited the home of every pupil who fell sick the next day. It has been a long process and we all hope things will be settled soon.”
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