Poisoned patients safe, says doctor

Hours after many poor people were hospitalised for food poisoning in Chhattisgarh, the condition of 70 people, including 32 women and children, is reported to be stable, officials said on Tuesday.

The patients, mainly tribals, were rushed to Dantewada district government hospital on Monday when they vomitted soon after eating at a famous Shiv temple at village Teknar on Mahashivratri, five kilometres away from district headquarters in Dantewada town.

“About a hundred people were brought to hospital in phases till last night, they are clearly victims of food poisoning. A few of them were discharged early on Tuesday, but still 70 people, mostly impoverished tribals, are in hospital,” said Anand Gota, the doctor attending the patients.

He termed the patients’ condition as “stable” and said they need serious medical attention for days. The Dantewada district authorities have appealed to residents in Teknar and nearby areas to get admitted to the district hospital instead of resorting to traditional medicines at home. The reports say there are still dozens of people who had eaten at the temple but they have not visited the hospital for medical check-up.