Parents panic over FB post on 'impotency' drug

A Facebook post claiming that a drug administered to children of a particular community would make them impotent has gone viral, hampering the National Deworming Programme (NDD).

S Madhusudan, correspondent of Pragati Vidyaniketan school in Amberpet, filed a complaint with the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights saying the Telangana Medical and Health Department supplied Albendazole tablets to be given to students on February 10 as part of National Deworming Programme.

A Facebook post in the name of Congress News on February 13 claimed that Albendazole was supplied to children from a specific community to cause impotency and urged the parents to complain against the school management.

“Check all schools and ask your children’s teachers if they are given any tablets or test medicines,” the FB post said. “Dear Parents, Please file police case on Pragathi School Hyderabad.”

Following the Facebook post, parents protested against the school management, accusing it of drug administration.

The management organised a medical camp on February 13 and 14 to convince the parents that the pills are safe.