Twenty-one students were rushed to hospital after they experienced bouts of vomiting along with sudden stomach pain after eating lunch served to them under the Midday Meal Scheme (MDM) at the Government Primary School at Weavers’ Colony in Kadiri municipality.
They were admitted to the Government Area Hospital for treatment and are now stable, doctors said.
District Medical and Health Officer Sannala Venkata Krishna Reddy told The Hindu that out of 140 students, 121 had attended the school on Friday. Of these, 25 complained of stomach pain while 14 of them had bouts of vomiting and were rushed to the Government Area Hospital here. “All of them are now out of danger,” said the DMHO, adding that they were given IV fluids as a precautionary measure.
Students said that they had eaten rice, which they alleged was half-boiled, along with sambar and dal. Student Federation of India activists demanded immediate action against the contractor serving food to the students. They also asked officials to ensure that quality food was served to the students.
Mandal Education Officer (MEO) Kadiri Chennakrishna said that the school headmistress had identified that the rice had a burnt smell, hence got it cooked again before serving it to the children. However, the rice seems to have not been cooked properly leading to indigestion among eight students, while a few others went home after visiting the hospital, he said.
