Lautoka, Fiji: Seven people who fell ill after drinking at a resort were earlier transferred to Lautoka Hospital.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
All but two of the seven people who became seriously ill in Fiji after drinking cocktails are expected to be discharged from hospital by the end of Monday, as testing goes on to find out what caused them to become ill.
The seven had been drinking pina coladas at five star Warwick Resort on Sunday when they fell ill, with nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms. Early on Monday, two were in critical condition, and four were transferred to another hospital due to the seriousness of their conditions.
The seven included an American, two foreign residents of Fiji and four Australians.
Fiji’s health boss on Monday afternoon said two of the seven remained in a critical condition.
A friend of one of those who fell sick told Checkpoint that by Monday afternoon, they were still too ill to get up.
But Fiji’s tourism minister and deputy prime minister Bill Gavoka told Checkpoint that three of the seven had already been discharged from hospital, and three more were expected to be discharged soon.
“The latest report, from the hospital in Lautoka, is that only two will be left from this evening, the others will have been discharged,” Gavoka said.
“Their condition – the two [remaining], are stable.” And the remaining two patients were no longer in intensive care.
One of seven people who were hospitalised in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort has reportedly returned home to Australia.
Meanwhile, the Fijian government is desperately trying to protect its reputation as a tourism destination, and assuring international visitors to the islands that this was an isolated incident.
Gavoka said he understands the drinks were made from a local premix, and served to many people at the resort’s bar that night, with no others becoming ill.
“On that particular day – there is five bars [at the resort], and in one of these bars there was quite a lot of people and pina colada was being served to many people. But for some reason only these seven got affected, and that is mystifying,” he said.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its SafeTravel advice, on Monday, warning visitors to Fiji to “exercise increased caution”. Visitors should be alert to the dangers of drink spiking and methanol poisoning in Fiji, it said.
“It’s an isolated case. And if we can isolate it to one particular factory here, we’re really keen to identify that,” Gavoka said.
“We are very concerned… [there’s been] all sorts of speculation and all sorts of scenarios making the airwaves. There’s been a lot of scrutiny. Like everyone else, we want to get to the bottom of this.”
Testing underway
Toxicology tests are being carried out by Fiji police, and expected back any day. A security camera had been operating at the bar, and police were looking through the footage, Gavoka said.
The premix that was used was being tested, “and every ingredient that went into that cocktail.”
Testing would “determine exactly what was in that drink that affected these seven, and not the others,” Gavoka said.
The bartender was experienced, and “it’s absolutely the normal ingredients and nothing was added to it.”, he said.
“It’s local rum – we make our own rum here – and coconut cream … and shaved ice.”
The resort was fully co-operating with the investigation.
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