Narayanpet: Food poisoning in Maganoor Zilla Parishad school for third time

Last Wednesday, over 50 students had fallen ill after consuming worm-infested food served at the school.

Narayanpet: Six days after the school was hit twice in two days with food poisoning and worm-infested food incidents, nearly 30 students of the Zilla Parishad High School, Maganoor fell ill again on Tuesday after consuming mid-day meals served at the school.

The incident, which once again exposed the sheer callousness of officials towards the students’ health, saw the students being rushed to the government hospital, Makthal for treatment. Soon after consuming the mid-day meals, the students around 3.30 pm complained of stomach ache and nausea and fell ill. As there were not enough ambulances available, they were shifted in cars and other vehicles as well.

Many parents were crying inconsolably at the Makthal hospital and pleaded with the doctors to extend quality treatment. Former BRS MLA C Rammohan Reddy visited the hospital and spoke to the students and urged the doctors to extend quality treatment.

Meanwhile, the district officials claimed that “only” 22 students fell ill and that two students were shifted to the Government General Hospital, Mahabubnagar for better treatment. Videos of a mother crying inconsolably and speaking to her child, who was admitted at Mahabubnagar hospital over phone, went viral on social media platforms.

Meanwhile, officials claimed that of the 597 students at the school, 400 had consumed the mid-day meals. Along with the students, five teachers and revenue officials had also consumed the food.

District Collector Sikta Patnaik said 22 students had consumed savouries from 14 bakeries and kirana stores near the school. As per the preliminary checks by the officials, the students did not fall ill due to mid-day meals at the school, she claimed, adding that after the last week’s incident, all the old stocks of rice and other ingredients used for cooking were changed. The police were also collecting samples of savouries from the bakeries and kirana stores near the school. This apart, water samples were also collected from the overhead water tank near the school.

Last Wednesday, over 50 students had fallen ill after consuming worm-infested food served at the school. Of these, 15 students were shifted to Government General Hospital, Mahabubnagar. Incidentally, the students who were undergoing treatment at the hospital were served with worm-infested food for breakfast at the hospital. The next day, even the rice served for mid-day meals at the school, was again found to be worm-infested.

The Narayanpet district administration had suspended three officials and issued show cause notices to three other officials in connection with the food poisoning incident at Magnoor school last week. Additional Collector Ben Shalom was conducting an enquiry into the incident.

However, with yet another incident of food poisoning in the same school, parents are in shock and are questioning the action, or lack of it, from the State government.