SHAH ALAM: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will monitor the restaurant in Teluk Intan, Perak where customers started feeling weak and began hallucinating after having a meal there, as reported by the media yesterday.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, said they were waiting for further reports on the issue from the parties involved.

“I just got the news, I’m sure this is now a police case. I’m still waiting for further reports so I cannot comment (about it), but the Ministry of Health will monitor the matter,” he told reporters after launching the Embracing Community Healthcare Outreach (Echo) project organised by the Management and Science University (MSU), here today.

Yesterday, the media reported some customers reported feeling weak and started hallucinating, not long after having a meal at the restaurant on Sunday.

Based on customer complaints, the Perak State Health Department and the Royal Malaysian Police conducted an integrated operation on the premises on Tuesday, which led to the cook and two Bangladesh helpers being detained after testing positive for opiate type drugs.

In another development, Dr Dzulkefly encouraged more public universities and private higher education institutions to organise various health-related programmes involving the community, in line with the Health Ministry’s efforts to help the people, especially through the Health Care Scheme (PeKa B40) which will be implemented in stages starting next month.

At the same ceremony, Dr Dzulkefly also officiated MSU’s Medical Assistance Support Squad and witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MSU and the Selangor State Health Department, among others, to strengthen cooperation in the field of comprehensive health development, exchange of research results and materials as well as provision of health services.

The Echo Programme is an initiative of the MSU International Medical School to develop a holistic community, through various volunteer activities involving health, orphans, Orang Asli communities, the urban poor and the authorities. — Bernama