Students fall ill after consuming midday meal in MP, Goa

 At least 35 students fell ill after consuming the midday meal in Madhya Pradesh (MP), while 19 students fell ill in Goa, officials said.

The incident took place on Friday when children complained of stomach ache and vomiting after eating “poha” served in the midday meal in a government primary school at Bhandi village, MP.

The children were rushed to district hospital for treatment. They were reported to be out of danger, officials said.

Students aged between 5 and 10 said that tobacco-like smell was emanating from the food. Senior officers, including the block education officer and tahsildar, reached there to probe the matter.

The food and water samples have been sent for testing and the exact reason could be ascertained only after receiving the report, they added.

In Goa, 19 students of Kamleshwar High School, an aided institution in Pernem taluk, fell ill after eating the midday meal on Saturday, officials said.

While a girl was hospitalised at a primary health centre in Tuem, 40 km from Panaji, rest of the students were discharged after initial treatment, they said.

The girl suffered bouts of vomiting after consuming the meal, while others felt uneasy. Though the girl is reported to be out of danger, she is still under observation.

“It is yet to be ascertained whether the incident happened due to food poisoning,” an official said. Initial reports said that a spider was found in the meal but officials dismissed them as a rumour.

An NGO, Brahmanandacharya self help group, was assigned the responsibility of serving the midday meal.

The NGO has also been serving the meal to 13 primary schools and eight secondary schools, officials said. This is the second such incident in Goa during the week.