Employees treated for food poisoning

One of Saipan’s largest garment manufacturers, L&T Corporation, yesterday began investigation into the alleged food poisoning after hundreds of its factory workers, mostly Chinese, were hospitalized due to vomiting.

Company executives, however, did not rule out “sabotage” against the garment manufacturing firm, particularly on the heels of the $1 billion class action lawsuits filed against Saipan’s apparel industry in federal courts.

“Everything is under control,” declared Public Health Secretary Kevin Joe Villagomez who went to the company’s barracks to personally attend to the medical needs of the workers.

Villagomez said more than 100 workers who were brought to the hospital were immediately sent back to their staff house to rest. He said many workers no longer need hospitalization since the medical staff sent to the factory have been giving them anti-spasm shots and monitoring their blood pressure.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, who rushed to the company’s staff house, asked the various agencies to help in attending to the needs of the workers. He has asked public health officials to find out the cause of the food poisoning.

Tenorio, who visited some of the workers in the hospital, has been monitoring the incident since 5 am to make sure that all the victims of food poisoning are given medical care.

The public health department will assist the company to find out what could have caused the incident which, according to initial findings, was triggered by the food from the cafeteria the workers ate on Tuesday night.

“It’s very unfortunate,” said Personnel Director Jack Torres, “but we are now taking steps to address the situation and we will put in place corrective measures once we determine the cause.”

He maintained the company’s cafeteria underwent renovation just after the Chinese New Year last month, replacing some of the kitchen equipment like stoves and ovens.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration was supposed to inspect the facility last Tuesday, but it did not take place as scheduled, prompting speculations that the incident could have been a “sabotage.”

Torres said corrective measures will be implemented immediately once the investigation determines the cause to prevent reoccurrence of food poisoning among its employees.

“It’s tied up to the food they ate,” he explained. “We are on top of the situation and we are taking care of the workers.”

Makeshift emergency stations were set up by the public health department within company’s grounds to provide medical assistance to the victims, whose exact number has yet been determined as of press time.

“We want everybody examined by the doctors, but others said they feel okay,” Torres said.

L&T Corp. runs three separate factories in its Lower Base headquarters and employs about 3,000 workers, including Chinese and Filipinos.