Health Minister Dr S.Subramaniam said the ministry viewed the matter seriously and would issue a guideline on the spraying of weed killer to avoid a similar incident.

“The spraying of weedicide has actually caused the food poisoning on this scale. Normally we do have (these kind of cases), by those attempting to commit suicide by drinking it and then going to hospital (for treatment), but this is not the case.

“This, it is not direct (contamination). This is indirect kind of contamination from a source and caused the problem. Weedicide is a very strong poison. It can paralyse our system. We are quite surprised by this type of contamination, ” he told reporters yesterday.

He said the ministry would conduct further investigations into the case and advised those with symptoms of food poisoning to seek immediate treatment.

Dr Subramaniam was met after receiving a replica cheque from Permaisuri Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah, for the purchase of a Computed Tomography-Simulator (CT-Simulator) machine.

The Director-General of Health, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, said in a statement that a laboratory test on the blood samples of nine food poisoning victims in Siputeh had found that they had been exposed to ‘organophosphorus’ (pesticide).

As of yesterday, 30 men and seven women aged between two and 71 years had been treated at the Batu Gajah Hospital for vomiting and diarrhoea believed to be due to food poisoning.

Twenty-four of the victims were discharged the same evening, nine are still receiving treatment, while four others are in critical condition and being treated at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh.

— BERNAMA