Khairulanwar Zaini
While the mass food poisoning may be the fault of an errant individual stall owner, the dirty state of the market reflects a worrying systemic failure on the part of the NEA and the Geylang Serai Temporary Market Management Committee.
As the nation tries to grapple with the physical cost of the tragic mass food poisoning incident, preliminary investigations by the Ministry of Health have revealed that the outbreak is “most likely due to cross-contamination of rojak and raw seafood ingredients harbouring the (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) bacteria”. There have also been questions raised about the hygiene regime of the Geylang Serai temporary market – not least underscored by the discovery of 122 rats during the spring-cleaning efforts recently.
While it is convenient to isolate and attribute this tragedy to Mr Sheik Allaudin Mohideen, the rojak stall owner, this perspective does not sufficiently answer broader concerns of hygiene and cleanliness standards.
An NEA official was reported by the Today newspaper to have berated the stall owners attending a hygiene course conducted last Thursday, while Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, condemned the events as “totally unacceptable” and that it was “outrageous that this has happened”. The minister promised to hold those responsible accountable.
Strong sentiments indeed, but his counterpart in the Health Ministry, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, has raised a more germane concern about the overall cleanliness standard having “dropped to maybe 5/10 or worse”.
This begs the question: doesn’t NEA have a major part to play in maintaining the “overall cleanliness standard?”
Responsibility – Yaacob and 122 rats
There are essentially two separate, albeit overlapping, issues that have been conveniently conflated by the authorities: the hygiene standard of individual stalls, and the cleanliness of the temporary market.
Stall owners who are diffident towards the hygiene standards of their own stalls face strong financial disincentives in fines that may be imposed, and the loss of potential customers; most stall owners interviewed recognize their “individual responsibility” in maintainng hygiene standards, given that their source of income and livelihood is on the line. Hence, the inevitable few errant stall owners should not tar the efforts of the majority, and NEA also has some responsibility in its checks to detect these instances of non-compliance.
However, the responsibility in ensuring that the overall cleanliness of the market should fall squarely on NEA. Despite Dr Yaacob assurance of a ‘sound regime’ to the Straits Times, the fiasco of 122 rats suggests a failure on the part of NEA to intervene and nip an incipient safety threat in the bud.
As much as stall owners should be held responsible for any hygiene lapses, surely NEA is also culpable in its failure to ensure a clean market environment at Geylang Serai.
The temporary market houses both the hawker and wet market stalls in close vicinity, a conducive environment to encourage the prevalence of pests.
These circumstances might be understandable considering the market was meant to be temporary; however there was an appalling lack of effort to mitigate this potential threat to cleanliness: in the entire 3 years since its establishment, there were no spring-cleaning effort held until last Wednesday and Thursday – after the food poisoning happened.
The notable absence of regular clean-up efforts raises questions for the Geylang Serai Temporary Market Management Committee to answer: why was there only one spring-cleaning held after three years of operation, and that taking place only two months before the planned move to the new Geylang Serai market?
Taking into consideration that such clean-up efforts take place once every two months at the old Geylang Serai market, according to a vegetable stall owner who have worked at both locations, it seems that the Management Committee has been astoundingly complacent towards the need to maintain the cleanliness condition of its market.
And more striking is how NEA reacted in the catastrophe’s wake– passing the buck to respective local management committees of each market. Without ensuring these cleanups happen, NEA’s tough stance in maintaining the hygiene and cleanliness standards are nothing but sanctimonious words.
The NEA is the only agency with the mandate to enforce these standards, and adopting a laissez-faire approach and devolving its authority to the discretion of individual management committees without any oversight makes a mockery of the ‘sound regime’ that Dr Yaacob has been talking about.
One stallholder told the ST that huge rats run around the market regularly, playing like “Tom and Jerry”. Is NEA playing a Tom and Jerry hide-and-seek game with its responsibility?
A tale of 122 rats
The 122 rats caught in the spring-cleaning effort constitute a significant failure in the hygiene management of the market, and it would be disproportionate to attribute the presence of the rats to the individual stall owners since it concerns the conditions of the entire temporary market. It would only be fair for either the management committee and NEA to answer for the prevalence of these pests, as with any stall owner who has committed hygiene lapses.
A blame game is never prudent, particularly in crises of confidence such as this. The NEA, in its strong reprobations to the stall owners, has pinned the blame of the entire affair on the stall owners – but the lack of oversight and its detachment from the management of the markets points to the agency’s culpability of this episode.
While the mass food poisoning may be the fault of an errant individual stall owner, the dirty state of the market reflects a worrying systemic failure in the part of NEA and the Geylang Serai Temporary Market Management Committee. This incident however should prompt for a soul-searching exercise at the NEA and the respective local management committees of the various markets and food establishments to review the execution and enforcement of safety standards, which has evidently failed at Geylang Serai.
Pinning the guilt alone on the individual lapses of a rojak seller, yet ignoring the systemic lapses that has allowed for 122 rats to fester (and this number are the ones caught – who can safely hazard that no rats have been left behind?) means that the 152 people who endured an uncomfortable week have suffered in vain. Leadership in matters like these are best provided by those in authority, and the public should expect a more stringent regime to ensure the cleanliness of our food establishments.
Editor’s note:
Do you know of pigeon or rat infestations at your favorite eating places? Take a photo and send it in to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
——
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
once a blue-moon diahrea : maybe suay.
154 casualties. 48 hospitalized. 2 deaths. 122 rats (and how many unreported or unaccounted for , like victims never go and report ?) : Not a coincidence but a Public Health and Safety issue.
allow me to digress a lil on statistics and public health: asymptomatic TB . Its said, not testable or not tested for foreign workers here. So, is it true that no one really knows the problem, even if many already caught TB of type asymptomatic? Just a yes / no .
Now, who is RESponsible?
I think stall holder is definitely.
BUT that is not all.
When the problem is large scale as said above,
someone should be ACCOUNTABLE.
Else is no one Accountable for Public Health and Safety?
Yes or No?
I have the following suggestions:
1) Can MOH comment on the status of the frying oil used by those Mama-Rojak stall holders ?
Often it is over re-cycled and dark tea in color!……that will obviously be too many TRANSFATS or Cancer causing agents!
2) Will NEA conduct random checks on left overs or over-night foods for the next day? The gravy is also a source of suspect!
So what criteria for this type of GRADING for such food stalls? probably Minus C
(-C)
We have to kill so many rats as we live in this rat-race island!
Oh Geylang………..to many foreigns talents in the oldest trade and 2 Food poisoning incidents all happening at Geylang!
It is incredible that so many rats were found and killed in just one area alone. It has certainly tarnished the good name of a clean and green Singapore.
How come no one in NEA or other agencies really bothers about the general cleanliness of wet markets and hawker centres. Surely, supervision and enforcement must be lacking. Do not just cut cost and expect the same level of service to be delivered year after year. Where there is a need to increase manpower for more effective control, supervision and to improve service delivery, government agencies should recruit more manpower to do the job. Right now, it is just fire fighting solution. Food poisoning, clean the market. Nothing happen, close both eyes. This seems to be the case now. The elites in-charge should really wake up and do something about it.
To 9) Lego – Don’t you people ever forget that PAP is a group of saints waiting to become Gods. How dare you accuse them of being less than perfect!!!
I agree totally with you.
We need to start with the premise, nay truth that the PAP is infallible and incorruptible. I know this because the PAP told us this many times.
Then the NEA, cannot be wrong because this would violate the law above.
What then has the ST reporters said?
It is the fault of the hawkers who fail to maintain good hygiene practices.
But people, or at least those who comment here (No 6 Ah Hock i’m looking at you), say the NEA is responsible for the overall cleanliness.
Why hasn’t anyone considered the alternative?
The fault has to fall squarely on the public. We have grown complacent. If only MM Lee would come out to say this.
Caveat Emptor! The rousing phrase that brings to mind SM Goh Chok Tong and his incisive views during the Minibonds saga.
And finally, this has happened. What to do? Let’s move on.
“indifferent” not “diffident”
I agreed with all of you that our standard of hygiene is getting worse. The poor hygiene practice is not just in the food, but also in our medical examination protocol.
The other day I went to see an ear doctor on the infection of my right ear. The doctor pushed in an earscope and confirmed that my right ear was indeed infected. Then, to my utter disgust, he just pushed the same earscope into my healthy left ear without going through any sterilisation procedure! I objected but it was too late, and now my left ear is also infected. Upon my complaint the doctor said that there is no MOH requirement under his code of practice to have to sterilise the earscope before inserting it into my left ear!!
I now remembered that he also did not sterilise the earscope before inserting it into my infected right ear. What would happen to me if he had used the same earscope on an AIDS patient just before me? I also pity the next ear patient who may now be unnecessarily infected by me.
I asked what NEA means and a joker told me NOT ENOUGH ACTION…….so our Clean & Green image is going to suffer!
Maybe the senior managers in NEA are busy drafting out policies which will be used a stepping stones for 8-month bonuses. It’s hard work gathering facts and data and analyzing them. Maybe throw in a visit overseas to learn how to cook in clean sanitized French schools of chefs with lessons learnt.
I don’t know. Maybe we Singaporeans are complacent. We didn’t report and escalate the matter to our MPs who are busy fending off lunatics and verbal abusers. Maybe we did , but the local media and MSM are busy focusing on how to get back at bloggers and discrediting them and their authenticity.
I don’t know. But i know who got the million dollar salaries. Do you?
Kaffein
rojak man die liao.
governement going to sue him.
what about nea responsible for not cleaning up the hawker centre?
which senior officer should be sack?
dfvdfg (#60),
When NEA’s Perm Sec Tan Yong Soon is back from Cordon Bleau, we shall hang him for NEA’s lapse of responsibility.
Vibrio is a bacteria that comes from seafood. Hence this case of food-poisoning wasn’t caused by the cleanliness of the market. Having rats around though, is deplorable… but I get the sense the media is trying to confuse us…
this is crap! the govt keeps layblaming these kinda stuff on whatever they can get their hands on!
well, soon it’ll be:
Rats found guilty! Life imprisonment! X.X!?!
“Following Hurricane Katrina, there were 22 vibrio wound infections 3 of which were caused by V. parahaemolyticus and 2 of these led to death.” Wikipedia on Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
The atermath of hurricane katrina was 2 death from the bacteria. here, the aftermath of 2 death from the bacteria was hurricane for 122 rats.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_4854830_effects-rat-poison-humans.html
Bleeding
Rat poison reduces the levels of Vitamin K in the body, which affects the clotting factors. This leads to abnormal bleeding, such as bleeding from the gums or nose.
Digestive Effects
Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting are all possible side effects of rat poison. The majority of the time, the diarrhea or vomit is blood streaked.
Dizziness
This effect is a direct result of the thinned blood. The dizziness can become so severe that standing up at all is impossible.
Lethargy
After ingesting rat poison, you may begin to feel very sleepy. This is a result of the thinned blood making its way through your body.
Death
Rat poison can cause death if enough of it is taken. The most common methods of death by rat poison are hemorrhaging and heart complications.
while HongKong woke up their ideas immediately after the SARS outbreak, our government has remained largely ignorant to the hygiene problems that hawkers and wet markets pose.
the reason for this can be many. but since we live now in a society where only the elite matters, it does wonder if the reason why we have not done the drastic measures that HongKong did, is because it does not affect the rich/elite of our nation?
you surely don’t expect a MP to be having rojak at Geylang Serai would you?!
Agreeing with Rainnix,
Raw, uncooked seafood may give food poisoning. But I do not think it has such an effect where 154 people will be hospitalised with 2 deaths.
However rat poison is more fatal. And from the symptoms of the deaths, they seem to be linked with rats. The huge number of rats is not just because of the Rojak man’s cleanliness. It is generally the area and being a temporary make-shift area, the chances of being dirty is high. And it is the job of the town council and the committee governing the makeshift hawker centre to ensure cleanliness.
Thus putting the blame on the Rojak man totally is not being responsible. It could have been any other hawker because the area surrounding is dirty. It was only unfortunate his rojak triggered the rat poison.
Kaffein
Our dear Gov like NEA never take responsibilities for any Short Coming.
They know how to sue eveybody except themselves and poor Rojak man had to go jail but got free lunch.
NEA never find out what is the wrong with their current procedure and what can they imorove for their current system.
How are they able to learn when they are like God! That why Singaporean always model after the Gov “Not My Problem, Other People Problem!” like the economy failure, “It is US Problem!”
Are we ashamed?
More info on Vibrio parahaemolyticus which NEA claimed caused the food poisoning.
http://health2k.state.nv.us/disease/diseases/vibrio_parahaemolyticus.htm
See especially:
Q: Are there any long-term effects associated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections?
A: No. These are short illnesses, and once you recover you should not expect any long-term effects.
=> This bacteria does not lead to deaths.
How does that explain the deaths of the two persons? Perhaps rat poison, or rat-related diseases.
Kaffein
Let’s move on…
Dear all,
It is strange that Vibrio is the cause of the 2 deceased. Very strange indeed particularly that virus isn’t that potent enough as to cause death.
Rat poison is a very likely “ingredient” in this episode. But none was said in the main media.
Now the roja man is the cause of all this issues make me feel that he is just easy target to push away all responsibilities.
I hope he has a fair trial.
the rojak man will NOT get a fair trial. someone has to take the fall. since the rojak man is not rich, not an elite, not a MP, but just an ordinary s’porean, he is therefore very expandable. sorry rojak man!
Lately….. Hawkers in the limelight…..starting with Newton Hawker “overcharging” and Geylang Hawkers causing “death & food poisoning”………….so when you pay peanuts you get hell or to be safe & well when overcharged?
the only universal law is when u r rich & powerful
Hi Everyone,
Here is a study linking the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus and rats. The link is not direct for now but with more search and research, we may get some clues.
Intravenous injection of the thermostable direct hemolysin (lethal toxin) produced by Vibrio parahaemolyticus caused rapid death of rats. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=420591
Stopping of spontaneous beating of cultured mouse and rat myocardial cells by a toxin (thermostable direct hemolysin) from Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1031961
In my short search over the internet on the bacteria, rats, humans, infection, fecal transmission, and effects there are some indication that lab rats and humans react almost in the same way to the bacteria. However, it is possible that rats in the wild may be better immune to the bacteria just as not all who ate the food at the stall were as severely affected.
Here are some hypotheses of what may have happened where rats are considered as a variable:
1) rat poison used by the contractor to eliminate rats were based on the bacteria
2) rats may have eaten contaminated leftovers from seafood delivery and transmitted via fecal deposits or contact with some raw ingredients at the rojak store
3) The paya lebar drainage are connected to the sea where shellfish like mussels may be present naturally or can be nurtured . The occurence of poisoning from shellfish seems more frequent in my internet search. It could be a food source for the rats. And may have passed it on by contamination with a food source by fecal deposit or contact.
I haven’t found if rat fecal deposit is a likely transmission agent. However, for now, I am suspending judgement.
Anyone with any leads, please share.
Thanks
This is a follow up study on
Interaction of thermostable direct hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus with human erythrocytes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3160?dopt=Abstract
Can someone help to interprete the findings here. I can make sense of it but can’t be too sure.
Thanks.
rojak at fault for ppl falling sick after eating his food. Rats and dirtiness of all place someone must be responsible too and charge too
The NEA is really the source of all this deaths and poisoning.
Don’t trust what Yacob and his merry men are saying. They are trying to manage the crisis like it is ALL the rojak man’s fault. Pin it in a scapegoat and then hope it can ride out the storm. That’s what the govt does best: trying to avoid doing anything useful.