12 hostel students suffer from food poisoning

YADGIR

Twelve girl students at the Backward Classes Hostel in Devapur village, Surpur taluk, reportedly took ill after consuming contaminated food. Two hostel students allegedly fainted after breakfast. Shortly afterwards, several others experienced stomach pain. The villagers provided primary medical care, before transferring ten students to the taluk hospital for treatment. The students complained about poor food quality, stating that meal was excessively spicy, salty, and sour. They claimed that the cooks did not follow hygiene standards and prepared food using stale vegetables.

Hostel warden Neelamma said, I went home on Saturday night as children had a school holiday. When the children arrived at the hostel on Monday, they were already unwell. We immediately took them to the hospital and got them treated. She also went on to say that the cooks would not prepare rice properly or make rotis and chapatis well. She said the cooking staff responds with verbal abuse whenever questioned. I will inform the superiors in writing, she stated.

However, local residents dispute the warden's account, citing her irregular attendance at the hostel. The staff there abuse the children. Due to this, the children are afraid to speak about their issues to anyone. The warden visits only once or twice a month. She should be transferred immediately, and action should be taken to ensure that hostel for the girls is run according to regulations, said Paramanna, a parent.

Following the incident, backward class department official Thippareddy visited Surpur taluk hospital to check on the students' condition. All measures have been taken to treat the children, and the incident will be investigated, he said.

Taluk health officer Dr RV Nayak initiated the collection of food and water samples for laboratory testing. The truth behind the incident will be known only after the report, he informed.