Hundreds of Unair Specialist Doctors Suspected of Mass Poisoning, Pradik Halted Temporarily
Baca dalam 60 detik
- Sebanyak 172 dari 289 peserta didik PPDS FK Unair mengeluhkan gejala mual, muntah, dan pusing setelah menyantap hidangan dalam kegiatan pra-pendidikan di RSUD Dr Soetomo, Surabaya.
- Rumah sakit mengerahkan tim medis, mengirim sampel makanan dan usap rektal ke tiga laboratorium untuk mengidentifikasi sumber kontaminasi.
- Insiden ini memicu evaluasi penyediaan konsumsi dan menunda sementara agenda pelatihan, sementara Unair dijadwalkan memberikan klarifikasi resmi.
A total of 172 students in the Specialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS) at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga (Unair) experienced health complaints suspected to be caused by food poisoning after attending a pre-education activity (Pradik) at the Integrated Diagnostic Center Building, 7th floor, RSUD Dr Soetomo, Surabaya, Monday (28/9). The incident came to light after the hospital received reports from dozens of participants who complained of nausea, vomiting, and dizziness after eating meals provided by the organizers.
The Head of General Affairs at RSUD Dr Soetomo, Robeth Jabbar Syahansyah, said that of the total 289 participants present, more than half reported discomfort symptoms. "The preliminary suspicion is that the health problems came from the food consumed by participants during the activity," he said in a written statement, Tuesday (29/9).
Quick steps were taken by directing participants who needed medical treatment to the Emergency Room (IGD) at RSUD Dr Soetomo. Six people received treatment there—four received medical intervention and two others were under observation—and all have been allowed to go home. In addition, two participants were referred to other health facilities: one to RSAL and one to RSUD dr Soewandhie.
To determine the exact cause, hospital management has sent food samples and conducted rectal swab examinations to the Puslabfor Polda Jawa Timur laboratory, the Public Health Laboratory (Labkesmas), and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM). Coordination with the Health Office was also carried out, including evaluating the provision of meals by the Faculty of Medicine, Unair.
"RSUD Dr Soetomo ensures that handling students is a priority, while continuing to coordinate and carry out further examinations to obtain accurate information," Robeth stressed.
As a direct consequence, the Pradik agenda on Tuesday (29/9) was temporarily halted. Participants still experiencing complaints were urged to seek medical help immediately. As of this news being published, Unair has not issued an official statement, but a press conference is scheduled for this afternoon at RSUD Dr Soetomo.
The incident highlights the importance of food safety standards in educational institution activities, especially those involving prospective medical personnel. Similar cases have occurred at several other campuses, but the scale of this mass poisoning at Unair is relatively large given the number of participants affected. The public awaits the laboratory test results to find out whether the contamination came from raw materials, processing, or food distribution.
If negligence is proven, the organizers could face administrative sanctions and legal claims. Furthermore, this incident may push for tighter catering regulations in teaching hospitals. For PPDS participants, health problems certainly disrupt a tight training schedule, while the institution's reputation could be affected if the handling is not transparent.
Going forward, the laboratory investigation results will determine whether this case was purely an accident or indicates a systemic problem in managing event catering. Will Unair and RSUD Dr Soetomo strengthen food safety protocols to prevent similar incidents from recurring?
