Jharkhand: 40 kids fall ill after eating mid-day meal eggs
The incident came soon after the state government announced free eggs three times a week to 43 lakh students above six, besides free eggs at least once a week for lactating mothers and children under six.
As many as 40 children of a government middle school in Jharkhand’s Koderma district fell ill on Wednesday after allegedly eating rotten eggs as part of its mid-day meal, medical officers said.
The crisis broke out at the Tilaya Basti upgraded middle school, following which local egg shops and the school’s ration storehouse were sealed. The incident came soon after the state government announced free eggs three times a week to 43 lakh students above six, besides free eggs at least once a week for lactating mothers and children under six.
Health officials said the teachers told them that the students started vomiting soon after consuming the meal comprising kicchri and eggs. Some had acute cramps in their stomach.
“We suspect it was from rotten eggs. It affected 40 of the 395 students present on Wednesday,” Koderma civil surgeon Madhubala Rana. School principal Indu Devi said they rushed the children to the district hospital. Rana, however, said the students were out of danger, but were under observation.
The administration has ordered to seal shops of local egg vendors and the school’s ration store-house. “We have sealed the two shops that supplied eggs. We will also check the quality of rice used for kicchri that was served along with eggs,” said deputy commissioner Koderma Chavi Ranjan.