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35 Bihar students hospitalised after detergent allegedly mistaken for salt in mid-day meal
Bihar rural development minister Shravan Kumar visited the hospital and met the affected students, promising a detailed inquiry.
At least 35 students fell ill after consuming a mid-day meal at a government school in Bihar's Nalanda district, following which they were hospitalised, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place at Middle School in Parasi in the Noorsarai police station area, and the affected students were hospitalised at the Bihar Sharif Sadar Hospital, Dr Jayaprakash Singh, civil surgeon, Nalanda, told ANI news agency. Meanwhile, some others were receiving treatment at Chandi and Andarsarai, Dr Singh said.
The civil surgeon visited the hospital and took stock of the situation, according to PTI news agency. He said that all students receiving treatment at Sadar Hospital, Chandi and Andarsari were out of danger.
Deep Dive
Bihar rural development minister Shravan Kumar visited the hospital and met the affected students. He also spoke to the doctors regarding the students' condition. The minister said a detailed inquiry would be conducted to identify the lapse in the preparation.
Detergent allegedly mistaken for salt
Dr Singh said the students had complained of stomach pain after consuming their meal, adding that detergent was allegedly added to their food instead of salt. Some students also felt dizzy and began vomiting.
“All the children were suffering from stomach pain and vomiting. Consequently, they were transferred here, and a medical team immediately began their treatment. It is reported that detergent was added instead of salt to the food...” he told ANI. The principal of the school, Shailendra Kumar Singh, said the mid-day meal, comprising soybean rice, had been served to the students by an NGO as per the prescribed menu.
Dr Singh added that samples of the meal served had been collected, but there is no confirmation on the cause yet. He said the matter will be examined by the food inspector.
Some students had already eaten the food when others said the food lacked salt, according to the PTI report. The containers of both salt and detergent powder had reportedly been kept at the same place in the kitchen, owing to which the cook allegedly mistook the detergent for salt and added it to the food, PTI cited locals as saying.
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Headmaster overseeing meals suspended, cooks removed
The headmaster, who was responsible for overseeing the mid-day meal operations, was suspended, while three cooks posted at the school were also removed following the incident, district education officer Hemchandra told ANI.
He said a show-cause notice had also been issued to the NGO, ‘Ekta Shakti Foundation’, which was responsible for serving the food at the school. “They operate a centralized kitchen in Ramghat, from where the food is supplied,” Hemchandra said.
