Hyderabad: As many as 54 students of BC boys welfare hostel located in Dharmavaram village of Itikyala mandal in Jogulamba Gadwal district were hospitalised with complaints of vomiting and stomach-ache after consuming dinner on Friday, October 31.
The hostel accommodates 140 students, of whom 110 were present that evening. After dinner, around 9 pm, several students began vomiting and reported uneasiness.
Hostel staff, along with local police, quickly arranged ambulances to rush the affected students to the Gadwal government hospital for treatment.
On Saturday, the district collector, BM Santhosh, visited the students undergoing treatment and assured parents that such incidents will not occur in the future.
The students fell ill after consuming food prepared with cabbage and cauliflower, which were cooked together for the first time, stated the chief minister’s office. The CMO also informed that 32 students had been discharged by Saturday morning, while the remaining 22 would be discharged based on their recovery.
The collector has said that food samples will be sent for testing, and all allegations of negligence will be looked into. He assured that action will be taken after a detailed enquiry.
The collector added that he had visited the same hostel last month and that he inspects at least three educational institutions a week. He said that food committees have been set up in these institutions to taste the food before serving. All groceries are checked by the committee and action is taken against suppliers for substandard materials.
He said that local tahsildars have been instructed to inspect each hostel twice a month; however, orders will be issued to make it a weekly routine.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC), headed by former judge of the High Court Justice Shameem Akther, took cognisance of media reports on the incident of the students falling ill and directed the state’s Chief Secretary to conduct an enquiry and submit a comprehensive report by November 24, reported PTI.
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