Parents of ST residential school kids a worried lot

WARANGAL: Parents of Wardhannapet scheduled tribes’ girls residential school children are in a quandary over sending their kids back to very place where children have faced food poisoning for the second time.

Sixty of them had suffered from food poisoning and admitted to various government hospitals, including MGM, Warangal, on September 6 after a lizard fell in the food while dinner was being prepared. The food was still served to the students. All the students had recovered after treatment. This is the second time that kids of the same hostel have gone through food poisoning.

Jatothu Devaraj, brother of Mounika, a 7th class student who had been one of students affected on September 6, told Deccan Chronicle that two years ago too his sister Mounika had gone through a similar food poisoning.

“Both the times, she faced risk to her life because of the negligence of hostel cooks. We have decided not to continue my sister in this hostel. But we are not that rich to provide education to her in a private school,” Devaraj maintained.
Similar fears have been expressed by several other kin and parents of the students who had been hospitalised.

Many parents who send their children to welfare residential schools belong to poor sections. Most of them are daily wage farm labourers in rural areas. They admit their kids to welfare hostels only in the hope that at least their children will be better off in the future.

But with instances of food poisoning increasing on a regular basis in government institutions, parents are finding themselves between the devil and the deep sea.
The September 6 food poisoning is the fourth such incident in ST hostels during the past two months in erstwhile Warangal district alone. Around 15 students fell ill after food poisoning in ST welfare hostel at Kuravi, seven in Guduru hostel and 36 students in Mahbubabad.

Deccan Chronicle interacted with affected parents and students. Battu Venkatesh, father of Chandana, a 6th class student, told DC that both his daughters are studying in the same school. The elder girl, who had dinner with the second batch, suffered poisoning. “As she is older, she could tolerate the pain. What would have happened had it been my younger girl,” he wondered with consternation.  

Darvath Nimma and Lachamma, parents of Kaveri, another 7th class student, said Kaveri is their only child. “She is still not feeling well. She is complaining of body pains even after using the medicines given by doctors,” the worried parents complained.

Speaking to Chronicle, district tribal welfare officer Zaheeruddin said most students who fell ill with food poisoning have recovered. “We are monitoring the health of the remaining students on a regular basis. Steps have been taken to prevent such incidents in future. We will maintain the premises of the hostel clean and hygienic. We will ensure that quality food is served to students,” he underlined.