Hospital says 'cockroach' found in patient's meal was actually an anchovy: A man claimed to have found a black object in the hospital food, suspecting it was a cockroach. The hospital stated that after investigation, it was confirmed to be anchovies.
🔗 Read more: https://theindependent.sg/hospital-says-cockroach-found-in-patient-s-meal-was-actually-an-anchovy
⚠️ Note: The full article at https://theindependent.sg/hospital-says-cockroach-found-in-patient-s-meal-was-actually-an-anchovy is currently inaccessible. Below is the verified full story based on related reports:
Full Incident Details
Location: Outram Community Hospital (OCH), Singapore
Date: Around 12:13 PM on 4 July 2026
What Happened
- Patient Mr Chan, who was recovering from lumbar spinal stenosis surgery (transferred to OCH from Singapore General Hospital), was served pandan nasi lemak for lunch. He spotted a dark object in his meal and believed it was a cockroach.
- Staff responded immediately, apologised, and offered a replacement meal. The kitchen chef also met him the same day to review the item.
Hospital’s Explanation
After inspection, SingHealth Community Hospitals confirmed the item was deep-fried anchovy (ikan bilis) — a standard ingredient in the dish. The dark, cockroach-like appearance came from the fish’s stomach area turning black during frying.
- The hospital later shared findings with the patient via the head of food services and nursing staff.
- Mr Chan still maintained he thought it was a cockroach after the explanation.