Mumbai: 47 docs fall ill after eating I-Day sweets

Forty-seven resident doctors at the Sion hospital were admitted to the casualty ward after they fell ill after consuming sweets served at the hospital canteen on Friday.

Forty-seven resident doctors at the Sion hospital were admitted to the casualty ward after they fell ill after consuming sweets served at the hospital canteen on Friday.

To mark Independence Day, the hospital canteen, which provides free breakfast to resident doctors at the civic-run hospital, also served tiranga [tricolour] barfi.

Soon after, resident doctors complained of vomiting, nausea, giddiness, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The sweet had mawa in it.

The civic body is looking into the incident and a police complaint has been lodged against the canteen operators.

“We admitted 47 doctors, 24 of whom were women, for observation. All of them have recovered and are in stable condition. The mawa used in the sweet was procured from Koliwada,” said the dean of Sion hospital, Dr Avinash Supe. “The health officials from the BMC are probing the matter to take necessary action against those responsible,” added Dr Supe.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (Mard) has also sought an investigation into the incident.

“We have written to the dean requesting him to ensure a quality check on food items purchased,” said Dr Vikram Wankhade, hostel secretary, Mard, Sion Hospital.

A complaint was lodged at the Sion police station.

“We will record statements of people concerned. The contractor who gave the mawa regularly provided food to the canteen,” said Baburao Gavit, senior inspector, Sion police.