The symptoms that gave rise to a suspicion of food poisoning at Mater Dei and Karin Grech hospitals last week have now been noticed in the Sir Paul Boffa physiotherapy department and St Vincent de Paul home for the elderly.

“We are taking this very seriously, and the Superintendence of Public Health is conducting extensive investigations,” Health Minister Chris Fearne told the Times of Malta yesterday.

This newspaper reported on Saturday that an estimated 30 patients had taken ill at Mater Dei, while sources said that patients in seven out of the nine wards at Karin Grech, now run by Vitals Global Healthcare, had also been affected.

Both hospitals later confirmed that “a number” of patients had been diagnosed with sudden onset gastritis. Several wards at the two hospitals were closed to new admissions.

It now turns out that the symptoms, which included nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, were also noticed at Boffa department and St Vincent de Paul.

Mr Fearne said the same symptoms had also spread to a number of healthcare professionals. He described the situation as “contagious”.

It is not yet certain whether those who reported feeling unwell had in fact suffered food poisoning because investigations have, so far, proved inconclusive.

Mr Fearne, however, confirmed that the four establishments affected were all serviced by the same catering company, which was also being investigated.

The Minister said that the public health authorities were running tests on the catering service provider’s facilities, an operation that often took several days to be concluded. Tests had been sent to labs overseas and results were expected in the coming days, he said.

Patients at Mater Dei Hospital told the Times of Malta that about an hour after consuming their evening meal last Thursday, they experienced sharp cramps that persisted for a few days. One patient said he had been surrounded by others with a similar reaction to the food provided at the hospital.

Hospital staff then approached patients to find out what they had eaten for dinner in an attempt to isolate what could have caused the problems.

In 2006, about 45 cases of gastroenteritis affecting patients, and another two affecting members of staff, were reported at St Luke’s Hospital.

Patients at Karen Grech reported similar symptoms, and though it was not clear how many patients were suspected to have suffered food poisoning, sources said “isolated cases” had spread throughout the building.

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