7 students are still in hospital, panel visits IIT Etcherla

VISAKHAPATNAM: Most students, who were taken ill after consuming stale
food in Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge and Technology at Etcherla in Srikakulam district on Thursday, have recovered. University authorities said seven of them, however, are still undergoing treatment at RIMS Hospital in Srikakulam town.

A special camp was set up in the campus under the supervision of district medical and health officer Dr B Meenakshi to treat the students staying in the hostels. 

The campus has more than 4,000 students. Of them, 260 students reported being sick on Thursday night. The university authorities came under fire for not disclosing the incident to the higher authorities till Saturday morning.

“Out of 260 students reported sick, 230 were girls,’’ said IIT
Etcherla director Prof P Jagadiswara Rao.

Talking to this correspondent, the director said an inquiry has been
ordered to find out the people who were responsible for large-scale
sickness of the students. “The report is expected in another three
days,” he said.

State Child Rights Commission chairman Dr Kesali Appa Rao visited the campus along with a team and interacted with the authorities and the affected students.

He appreciated the university authorities for promptly attending to the sick students. He asked them to operate the medical camp till the last student was treated. “After interacting with the wardens and inspecting the facilities, we
have suggested measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents,’’
Appa Rao told the reporters.