Warangal: As many as 29 students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Gurukul hostel in Nellikuduru of Mahbubabad district were taken ill due to vomiting and diarrhoea on Saturday night due to food poisoning. The students were rushed to the Mahbubabad area hospital and are undergoing treatment.
Three of them were shifted to the ICU. The students were said to be in a stable condition as of Sunday afternoon.
The hostel authorities served tomato and potato curry and rasam for dinner to the 200 odd inmates. By 9.30 pm, some of the students complained of nausea and began vomiting. After sometime, more students complained of a similar problem and many suffered from diarrhoea. The hostel authorities called up 108 emergency ambulance and shifted the students to the Mahbubabad hospital.
The students alleged they were served rice with worms and half-cooked rasam. They said they took the issue to the notice of the cook and that he asked them to keep the worms aside and eat the rice.
The parents of the students too said their children complained many times about the sub-standard rice being served to them. The parents said despite repreated complaints, the school principal ignored the issue.
Deputy Chief Minister and education minister Kadiam Srihari called district collector Preethi Meena and took stock of the situation. He directed that the contract of the agency serving food at the hostel should be cancelled immediately. He asked her to ensure proper treatment to all the students.
Hostel premises not clean: DM&HO
After several students were taken ill at the Nellikuduru KGBV, district medical and health officer Dr Sriram inspected the hostel and interacted with the students on Sunday.
Mandal health officer Dr Jyothi conducted health checkup to the hostel students. Dr Sriram said the students in the hostel fell sick not just because of the sub-standard food but also because of the unhygienic conditions in the hostel.
“There are only three toilets functioning in the hostel for 200 students. They are not being cleaned regularly. There are flies and mosquitoes everywhere. Such conditions are not recommended to live in a place. Bleaching powder and phenol must be used for cleaning the toilets but that is not happening here,” he said.
The DM&HO also inspected the rice being served to the students. He found that it contained worms and that it was not being cleaned properly before being cooked. He said the rice is of very bad quality.
“We also found out that the bore water is being used instead of mineral water for cooking rice and curries. This is also one of the reasons for the students to fall sick,” he said.
The students also complained that a proper menu is not being followed. They are being fed with whatever vegetables are available with the contract agency.
As the rice being served to the students in the hostel is not good, Nellikuduru SI G. Raj Kumar donated 50kg of fine rice to the hostel on Sunday. He urged the authorities to serve proper food to the children and take care of them.
