Teen died after Hari Raya food poisoning that hit 13 guests
A TEENAGE boy, among nearly 20 people hit by food poisoning after a home-cooked Hari Raya feast, did not go to a doctor.
After three days of severe vomiting and diarrhoea, a weakened Muhammad Helmi Frankford, 14, died on Oct 31 last year.
State Coroner Victor Yeo yesterday recorded an open verdict on the death.
The teenager was not the only one taken ill after the meal on Oct 28. His grand-uncle, grand-aunt, uncle and aunt, with whom he had lived since he was a baby, and 13 of about 50 guests also fell sick.
Except for his grand-aunt, who did not see a doctor until advised to much later, the rest did so and recovered.
Investigators could not find the source of the contamination though they combed the Woodlands flat twice for remnant food or stool samples - once the day Helmi died and a week later.
The food and drinks were prepared by his grand-aunt, Madam Khatijah Mohd Tahir, 55, though guests also tucked into fruit and cake brought by relatives and friends.
At yesterday's inquiry, Senior Staff Sergeant Patricia Yeo from Jurong Police Division said Helmi was found motionless in bed on Oct 31.
Earlier that morning, his grand-uncle, Mr Hamzah Minggu, 61, had told him he would take him to a doctor later that day. At about 2.30pm, he found the teen unresponsive and not breathing, his legs cold.
Senior Staff Sgt Yeo said in her report that three days earlier, Mr Hamzah and his wife had whipped up a spread and thrown open their home to relatives and friends.
The couple began suffering diarrhoea and vomiting at around 5am the next day. They later found out about a dozen others had similar symptoms.
Helmi's uncle, Mr Ngirwan Hamzah, a 35-year-old driver, told The Straits Times he and his wife were the first to see a doctor on Oct 29, followed by Mr Hamzah the next day.
On Oct 31, when Mr Hamzah returned from an errand in the afternoon to take his wife and Helmi to the doctor, the family could not rouse Helmi from bed.
Mr Ngirwan said: 'I went up to him to shake him but his body felt cold. I turned him to face me and his lips were black and blue.'
The cause of death was blood poisoning due to salmonella enteritidis, a common cause of food poisoning. Salmonella bacteria occur in livestock and foods like meat, eggs and milk.
State Coroner Yeo said while it was clear Helmi and the others had contracted salmonella, it was unclear which food or drink was contaminated.
'The deceased's death could also have been contributed by his delay in seeking treatment,' he added.
Mr Ngirwan said Hari Raya this year would be a less happy occasion without his nephew, whose parents are divorced. 'We feel a huge loss,' he said.
