Investigation under way after 50 cases of suspected food poisoning at Sharjah hotel
▶ Health authorities and police called in after spate of sudden sickness at Sheraton Beach Resort and Spa
A hotel in Sharjah says it is helping authorities to investigate why more than 50 of its guests suddenly became ill.
The men, women and children staying at the Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort and Spa were admitted to hospitals across the emirate after bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea.
They have complained to authorities about food poisoning symptoms but the cause of their sickness has yet to be determined.
“We can confirm that a number of our guests reported feeling unwell on May 10, 2018,” a hotel spokesman told The National.
“We are working closely with local health authorities to investigate the cause. The well-being of our guests is of paramount priority.
“We follow dedicated policies and procedures for health and safety across all areas of the property, and take prudent steps to provide a safe environment at the hotel.”
Among those who became sick were Russians Raman Zhukova, 30, and his wife Ekaterina, 33.
They became ill on May 9 and called their insurance company to request a doctor.
“The doctor was four hours late,” Mr Zhukova said. “He told us that several other hotel guests, insured with the same company, called requesting a doctor after suffering from the same symptoms and that the priority was for those who had sick children.”
He said he became ill about 10pm and his wife nearly 30 minutes later.
“My temperature was 40°C for three days,” Mr Zhukova said.
When their conditions did not improve, the couple visited Al Qassimi Hospital where they were told they had gastroenteritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines ordinarily resulting from bacterial or viral infections.
A Ukranian man and his pregnant wife became sick the morning after they arrived at the hotel. “All people have very similar symptoms and almost all of them started to notice them at the same time,” said Andriy Voronin, 29. “In our case this happened around 9 or 10pm on May 9.”
In an email to hotel management, Mr Voronin said he and his wife Christina, 26, checked in at 3.20am on May 9 and had breakfast in the hotel at 10.15am.
He called the reception to request a doctor but was told one would not be available until the next morning.
Fearing for his pregnant wife, Mr Voronin took her to Al Qassimi Hospital where they were told they had gastroenteritis.
The recovering guests met hotel management three days later to complain and suggested that food poisoning may have been the cause of their illness.
“We all ate from the same food – fruit, eggs, cheese, sausages and bread,” Mr Voronin said.
Those affected created a chat group adding many guests involved in the incident, including those that had returned home.
“A lady from Kazakhstan said her baby fell sick when they arrived home,” Mr Voronin said. “Her son was admitted to the intensive care unit.”
Pregnant Pavlova Svetlana, 30, from Tatarstan and her son Kazkh Dorbin, 6, had to be taken by ambulance to hospital where they spent three nights.
“The hotel didn’t offer any help, they just provided complimentary water and offered some antibiotics,” Ms Svetlana said.
She said the hotel offered to send sick guests to hospital and cover the costs but never followed through.
Some of those who returned home said on the chat group that they had been seen by doctors in their home countries, who told them they might have salmonella food poisoning.
An official from Sharjah Municipality’s health department said an investigation was under way in co-operation with police.