GEORGE TOWN: Two men were rushed to the Penang Hospital emergency ward here when they fainted after drinking instant coffee.
State Health Department director Dr Wan Mansor Hamzah said the two started feeling weak and lethargic after consuming the drink.
They are however reported to be in stable condition.
“Both patients claimed they drank instant coffee before showing the symptoms which warranted them to seek immediate medical treatment.
“We are running tests to determine the cause of the incident,” he said when contacted.
Photos of what appeared to be the two patients have since made its way into various social media platform.
It was accompanied with a message:
“Good afternoon, just to alert everyone that the emergency department of the Penang Hospital has seen a total of four cases where patients were treated in redzone after taking an instant coffee.
The message also claimed that the four patients displayed sympathomimetic toxidromes (very high blood pressure, tachycardia, dilated pupils, sweating, and restlessness).
Two patients, both are friends, drank the same product and were admitted to medical ward on Jan 27.
Another two patients, both colleagues, drank the coffee at work.
Meanwhile, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, in a statement, said the state Health Department had been instructed to carry out a comprehensive investigation before announcing the outcome.