NS camps where food poisoning is rife to be closed

Star: MUAR: National service camps where serious food poisoning cases frequently occur will be closed, National Service Training Department director-general Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid said.
He said if the cases were not serious, the camps would be temporarily closed and the trainees sent to other camps while investigations were carried out.
“However, if a camp has repeated cases of food poisoning, the authorities will have no choice but to close it as the health and safety of trainees are more important,” he said.
“We want all food operators at the 77 national service training camps nationwide to take heed of this. They must always provide fresh and healthy food to the trainees.”
He was speaking to reporters at the Nasuha National Service Camp near here yesterday.
Abdul Halim cited a food poisoning case at a camp near here where 60 trainees had to be rushed to hospital on Sept 3.
He said the case was not serious as none of the trainees were warded, but the incident caused a lot of concern, especially to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
On the case where all 126 trainees at the Air Keroh Camp in Malacca lost their mobile phones, Abdul Halim said the camp operator had agreed to reimburse the trainees with cash at a total cost of RM40,550.

In Pekan, SIMON KHOO reports National Service Training Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye as saying that those who feel they are not medically fit to attend national service should go for a check-up before starting their training.
He said this would avoid a repeat of recent incidents where two trainees died in hospital due to health problems.
“I know there are cases where the trainees are so eager to go for NS training despite knowing that they were not medically fit.
“They should be honest with themselves and go for a check-up to certify their health status,” he said.
He said this after visiting the Tanjung Semarak Camp yesterday.
Using that camp as an example, Lee said a total of 14 trainees had to be sent home due to health reasons.
The trainees – 12 males and two females – had problems including asthma, diabetes and kidney ailments.
He said the last trainee who was given permission to end his stint one month early had a hernia but kept his condition under wraps until it was found out by a paramedic.
Lee said he would recommend that all camps carry out medical check-ups on future trainees.
“We are still in the discussion stage as the move will involve time and resources,” he said.