KAKINADA: As many as 70 students of Jawahar Navodaya schools who had come to participate in inter-state sports competitions at Pedavegi in Eluru district fell ill following dehydration.
In all, 228 students, including 34 escort personnel, from Telangana, Karnataka, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh had arrived at the Navodaya school in Pedavegi three days ago in connection with the interstate sports meet on Thursday and Friday.
On Friday afternoon, two of the student participants in the tournament became ill with vomiting and diarrhoea. Their number rose to 10 by night. Eluru Medical and Health authorities set up a medical camp at the school for treating the affected students.
Denduluru MLA Kotharu Abbayya Chowdary visited the school and advised the authorities to shift the ill students to the Government Hospital in Eluru for better treatment. Following this, total 70 students had been admitted to the Government Hospital in Eluru on Saturday.
Medical and health officials said all students admitted into the hospital are stable. 40 of the students had been discharged by Saturday evening.
School principal Y.S. Chandrasekhar told Deccan Chronicle that the students had been suffering from viral fevers. But they hid their illness fearing that they may otherwise not be allowed to participate in the sports meet.
The principal said the students had competed hard in hot weather and did not drink sufficient water. As a result, they got dehydrated and fell sick.
He strongly condemned reports that contamination of food had caused the illness. He maintained that quality food is being supplied to the students in school hostel.
