Around 48 students in Telangana’s Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Backward Classes Gurukul school in Velugumatla in Khammam district fell ill due to alleged food poisoning on Tuesday.
Reports stated that a section of the students of the residential school complained of severe stomach ache, with symptoms of diarrhoea after eating a meal served at the mess on Monday night.
The ailing students were admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital with the help of school attendants on Tuesday morning.
On learning about the incident, district officials rushed to the hospital and supervised the treatment.
By Tuesday evening, as many as 25 students were discharged from the hospital while the remaining students are likely to be discharged on Wednesday after complete observation, according to a top official from the District Health Department.
Meanwhile, Khammam District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO), Anamalla Kondal Rao, also inspected the premises of the school, following the incident.
Speaking to TNM, he said, “We have ensured the students standard treatment. Everyone is stable and getting along well. “
When asked about the cause of the incident, he said "Food poisoning could be one reason. We have collected food and water samples from the hostel mess."
Hinting at other reasons, he said "Out of 160 students, only 48 students were affected. Many parents brought home-made food for their wards on Sunday, as it was a holiday. The students may have shared the food items. We are considering that, without denying the potential chance of food poisoning."
He also stated that a special team had been sent to the school on Wednesday, to conduct a medical drive.
The DMHO also told TNM that the department had issued many guidelines on food safety, in a district coordination meeting.
He said, "We will initiate special drives across the schools with coordination of all concerned departments.”
In a similar incident last week, at least 15 students from the Kasturba Gandhi Residential school were hospitalised due to alleged food poisoning at Thorrur mandal headquarters in the state’s Mahabubabad district.
In the same week, around 50 students were hospitalised from Nellikuduru Kasturba Gandhi Tribal Girls Residential school.
Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari, who also holds the education minister's portfolio, had expressed his displeasure at the incident and directed officials to cancel the hostel caterers’ contract.
Following this, the District Collector Preeti Meena suspended three staff of the school, holding them responsible for mismanagement of the mess.