Many students of the Telangana Minorities Residential School for girls at Siddipet fell ill on the night of Monday, June 27, with 19 of them being shifted to a hospital with symptoms of food poisoning. The duty doctor at the government hospital where they were treated told the media that the students had complained of issues like diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting. The doctor said the symptoms began within two to three hours after the students had consumed chicken in the evening. He said that all the students taken to the hospital were stable and receiving treatment.
According to reports, around 120 students had fallen ill on Monday night. However, only 19 students were taken to the hospital. “Around 8 pm, nearly 19 students were brought here. Around 8 to 9 of them complained of motions, a few students had stomach pain, and some had vomiting. All of their vitals, blood pressure and pulse, were normal. There is no danger to life. Those who had motions were administered injections and fluids. They are being given antibiotics. Presently, everyone is stable. Some are dehydrated. As they recover, they will be sent back,” the doctor said on Monday night. He said that the students had apparently consumed chicken, and the symptoms began two to three hours after they had taken food.
Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao, who is also the MLA from Siddipet constituency, has asked the school authorities to submit a report on the incident and assured parents of students’ safety, The Hindu reported.
Earlier in November 2021, around 32 students fell ill after having the mid-day meal at a government school in Nirmal district. The children were studying at the Mandal Parishad Upper Primary School in Dimmadurthi village of Mamda mandal. Following the incident, the school headmaster was suspended, and the contract given to the agency that supplied the mid-day meals was cancelled, according to the District Educational Officer.