Many students had to be hospitalized due to diarrhea, Lao Cai College's canteen was temporarily closed.

On October 11, regarding the suspected food poisoning incident at Lao Cai College, the Food Safety Department ( Ministry of Health ) sent an official dispatch requesting the Lao Cai Department of Health to investigate, clarify and handle this incident.

The Food Safety Department requested the Lao Cai Provincial Department of Health to urgently suspend the operation of the Lao Cai College canteen. At the same time, organize an investigation and trace the origin of food to clearly identify the source of raw materials and food for the processing facility; take food and specimen samples for testing to find the cause; detect and strictly handle violations of food safety regulations (if any) and publicize the results to promptly warn the community.

Along with that, the Food Safety Department also requested the Lao Cai Department of Health to strengthen propaganda and guide collective kitchens and food service establishments to ensure hygiene and food safety conditions, strictly implement the management of food ingredients' origin, 3-step food inspection, food sample storage and hygiene in processing stages.

Previously, on October 9 and 10, Hung Thinh General Hospital (in Lao Cai City) received 50 cases of students from Lao Cai College who were hospitalized with symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Upon receiving the information, the Lao Cai Provincial Food Safety Department took food samples from the kitchen at Lao Cai College's campus 1 and sent them to Hanoi for testing. The Lao Cai Center for Disease Control took water and waste samples from the patients for testing to determine the specific cause.

MINH KHANG