Milaad gathering: 45 people hospitalised after eating stale food

Organiser files complaint against food caterer, milk man.

LAHORE:

At least 45 people, including children, were taken to various hospitals on Thursday night after eating stale food served for iftar at a milaad function on Lytton Road.

Lytton Road police said that some 300 men, women and children attended the milaad organised by Universal Auto Workshop near Tamasil Theatre Hall.

They said the organiser, Muhammad Shehbaz, had been arranging similar sessions on Ramazan 27 for nearly 25 years.

They said he had served the guests milk, fruit chaat and haleem.

Some of the guests had started vomiting as soon as they started eating and some of the women fainted. Panic spread at the gathering and help was called.

Rescue 1122 teams were called and took 13 people to Services Hospital, nine to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the rest to other nearby hospitals.

Doctors treating them later said that they were all out of danger. They said the stale food had caused them (patients) food poisoning and diarrhoa.

Assistant Sub Inspector Muhammad Tariq said that the milaad organiser had filed a complaint against caterer, Muhammad Kamran, and the milkman, Muhammad Jameel. He said police were investigating.

As many as 35 patients were discharged from the hospital on Friday.

Taking notice of the incident, District Coordination Officer Noorul Amin Mengal directed District Officer (Food) Dr Masood Ashraf and Deputy District Officer Chaudhry Ayub to submit a report on the incident.

The report was submitted to the DCO’s office on Friday.

Those taken to the hospital include Fatima, 8, Aqeel, 11, Muhammad Faraz, 10, Rashid, 13, Nabeel, 18, Sajwal, 19, Sadaqat, 19, Irfan, 18, Muslim, 13, and Mobin, 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2012.