25 children fall ill after mid-day meal

SNS | February 1, 2016 12:17 am

Twenty-five children of a government school in Banjipali village under Khaprakhol block were taken ill after taking mid-day meal on Saturday.

All the sick students, aged between 5 and 12 years, were inmates of a seasonal hostel that were run by government for children of migrant families.

“We thought it to be a case of food poisoning and made arrangements to take them to the nearest Dhandamunda PHC. But as there were no doctors to attend on them, the children were rushed to Patnagarh Subdivision hospital by the school head master,” a teacher R Biswal, said over the phone.

According to sources initially they showed signs of nausea and vomiting. Some complained of headache and become unconscious leading to the belief that it could be due to food contamination.

A section of the villagers pointed out that the children are of a very tender age and their family members had migrated leaving them weak both physically and mentally.

They stay on the outskirts of the village which lacks proper electrification, noted the villagers.

“We are looking into every aspect and have sent the food sample for tests, informed sub-collector Sarat Chandra Panda.

However, the children were out of danger and many of them had been discharged from the hospital already.