A netizen shared how her 2-year-old son had diarrhoea 12 times within 24 hours after coming home from the childcare centre.
She ended up having to take him to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on 14 July, where he was hospitalised for 3 days and was diagnosed with viral gastroenteritis with dehydration.
In layman’s terms, it is an intestinal infection commonly known as stomach flu, where the most common way of getting it is by consuming contaminated food/water, or coming into contact with another infected person’s fluids.
The mother said that her son allegedly got food poisoning after consuming food from Jeewa Catering Services, which caters the food for Jamiyah Childcare Centre.
She said that her son went to sleep after coming home from the childcare centre but started having diarrhoea at 3am.
After being hospitalised for 3 days, he was discharged on 16 July but readmitted to the hospital again three days later for acute gastroenteritis.
The mother said that she had since withdrawn her child from the childcare centre, citing “negligence in welfare” and “poor hygiene practices”.
She has also reported the matter to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
The SFA and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said that they are investigating a report of suspected food poisoning.
They added: “Food safety is a joint responsibility. While SFA puts in place and enforces the regulatory measures, food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices. SFA conducts regular inspections of food establishments to ensure compliance with hygiene standards, and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if food safety and hygiene violations are detected.”