Vikarabad toddy incident: More people admitted to hospitals

Vikarabad District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Sudhakar Shinde told Telangana Today that doctors and psychiatrists were treating patients at Sai Hospital and Mahaveer Hospital in Vikarabad along with Vikarabad Government Hospital and the Osmania General Hospital here.

Hyderabad: More people have been admitted to hospitals complaining of health problems after consuming adulterated toddy in Vikarabad district. Officials said 143 people have been admitted in different hospitals in the district. On Saturday, 48 persons, including half a dozen women, had been taken to hospitals after they developed seizures and fell sick.

Even as investigators were waiting for the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death of a 55-year-old man Z Krishna Reddy, along with the reports of toddy samples collected from 11 shops in Nawabpet, Vikarabad and adjoining areas. Health officials said all the admitted persons were out of danger.

Vikarabad District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Sudhakar Shinde told Telangana Today that doctors and psychiatrists were treating patients at Sai Hospital and Mahaveer Hospital in Vikarabad along with Vikarabad Government Hospital and the Osmania General Hospital here.

“We will get to know the exact reasons behind these cases only after getting the reports of toddy samples,” he said. Sources said the problem may have cropped up after the shop owners allegedly sold toddy laced with some chemicals. “We are yet to know the quantum of chemicals used in the toddy to give the customers a high,” an official said.

After several persons from 11 villages in Nawabpet, Vikarabad and adjoining areas started complaining of seizures, giddiness, nausea and fever and started visiting the local hospitals for treatment, the district administration alerted the health officials to ensure proper treatment.
Prohibition and Excise Department Commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmad on Sunday visited the hospitals and took details from the patients. He also interacted with the excise officials to examine the factors that contributed to the incident.

Vikarabad Inspector G Rajasekhar said: “Krishna Reddy’s family members complained to us that his death was caused only by consumption of adulterated toddy as no injuries were found on his body which was found in a field on Friday.” “As of now, we have booked a case under provisions of the Excise Act only and after getting the autopsy report of Krishna Reddy, will we change the case and punish those responsible for the incident,” he said.

 

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