A large number of students who developed complications after eating the midday meal at the Government High School at Harsur village, Gulbarga taluk, have been admitted to the district general hospital here on Wednesday. Hospital sources said that the condition of students was stable, and all of them were out of danger.
After consuming the bisibelebhath which was part of the midday meal supplied by Adamya Chetana, a non-governmental organisation, under the Akshara Dasoha scheme, students started complaining about stomach ache, headache, vomiting, dysentery, giddiness, etc. Some of the students collapsed in the school. They were treated at the Harsur Primary Health Centre, and later rushed to the district general hospital in Gulbarga for further treatment.
In all, 29 students have been admitted to the district hospital, with more coming in ambulances. However, some of the students have been treated as outpatients.
There are about 175 students in the school and nearly 25 students - who had eaten outside food - remained safe. The remaining students who had taken the mid day meal, and fell sick. Doctors say the complication was due to food poisoning.
It is said that the bisibele bhath, prepared in Gulbarga during the wee hours of Wednesday, was carried to Harsur in plastic cans. It was distributed at about 1 pm. About an hour, after students started developing complications. Zilla Panchayat CEO P C Jaffar, DDPI N B Patil, DHO Dr Nalini Namoshi and other officials visited the hospital to take stock of the situation.
Parents of the students protested against the carelessness of the authorities.
There was some commotion as an argument broke out between some students’ oganisation activists and authorities, over the poor treatment facilities and non-availability of doctors at the hospital.