- Over 24 students fell ill after mid-day meal.
- Cook mistakenly used detergent instead of salt.
- Incident raises questions on school and hospital safety.
Jagran Correspondent, Bihar Sharif: Over 24 students fell ill after eating mid-day meal at the Middle School Parasi in the Nursarai police station area of Bihar’s Nalanda district on Tuesday. Following meals, the children complained of vomiting and dizziness. The children were immediately rushed to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital for treatment.
Upon receiving the information, Civil Surgeon Dr Jaiprakash Singh also visited Sadar Hospital to inquire about the children's condition. He stated that all the children are out of danger. School Principal Shailendra Kumar Singh said that mid-day meals come from a nearby NGO. On Tuesday, the children were served soybean rice as per the menu.
Surf Used Instead Of Salt
The salt and detergent containers were kept in the same place in the kitchen, which led to an unfortunate mix-up. The cook had mistakenly used detergent instead of salt while preparing the meal.
Shortly after consuming the food, the children began experiencing vomiting and dizziness. First aid was administered at the school, but their condition did not improve.
The children admitted to the hospital include Preeti Kumari (11), Ayushi Kumari (12), Lakshmi Kumari (11), Neetu Kumari, Shivani Kumari (10), Chandni Kumari (13), Sajni Kumari, Suhani (13), Anu Kumari (15), Rakhi Kumari (11) and Vaishnavi Kumari.
Upon receiving information about the children's arrival at Sadar Hospital, their parents also arrived. Angered by the treatment of a few children, their relatives created a ruckus at the hospital. The relatives claimed that despite the large number of children, adequate arrangements had not been made.
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The incident has also raised serious questions about the emergency arrangements at the local health department. The civil surgeon and hospital management had reportedly been informed about the children’s illness. Despite being aware of the situation, however, the hospital did not send an ambulance or a medical team to the school.
With no ambulance available, family members were forced to take their children to Sadar Hospital in totos and tempos. The situation has prompted questions over the hospital’s preparedness to respond to medical emergencies.
Family members said that timely intervention by an ambulance and health workers could have ensured that the children received immediate medical attention.