Hyderabad: Around 40 students of an Ashram Gurukul school in Nalgonda’s Mudigonda area were hospitalised for food poisoning after they complained of vomiting and loose motions.
They were admitted on Monday morning, July 14. While 20 students are receiving treatment at the Devarakonda hospital, the remaining are being treated at Tirupalli hospital.
Students had reportedly consumed chicken curry on Sunday night and pulihora rice (tamarind rice) for breakfast on Monday. Soon after, many started showing symptoms of food poisoning.
Doctors confirmed that all students are now stable, and several have already been discharged.
Videos of hospitalised girl students, some crying, have emerged on social media platforms.
According to the Devarakonda police, the cause is suspected to be gas formation linked to the pulihora rice consumed in the morning. “Doctors believe the symptoms may have been triggered by food contamination. Investigations are ongoing,” an officer said.
Authorities are expected to inspect the school kitchen and food samples to determine the exact cause.
Lashing out at the Congress government, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) said children suffering due to worm-infested food and basic facilities expose the deplorable state of Gurukul hostels.
“So far, 90 students of Gurukul hostels have died due to various reasons, but chief minister Revanth Reddy remains indifferent,” he said.
Food poisoning cases in Gurukul schools
Rising food poisoning cases do not seem to slow down in Telangana. Several cases of food poisoning in government schools across the state have been reported in the last few months.
On December 19, about 33 students suffered food poisoning at a government school in Keesara, Medchal after having breakfast. The students reportedly had bondas and other oily food items, at Telangana Government Minority Residential School and Junior College, Nagaram Municipality.
A 16-year-old tribal student C Shailaja, who fell critically ill from food poisoning, died at the NIMS Hyderabad on November 25. She was a student at the Wankidi tribal Welfare School. She was one of the 63 hospitalised victims who fell ill after consuming dinner at the government-run tribal school in Kumrambheem Asifabad district on October 31.
