In all, 22 out of total 24 children who were undergoing treatment at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) after consuming poisonous mid-day meal at their school in Saran district were discharged from the hospital on Tuesday. Total 23 children had lost their lives after eating mid-day meal at a Government primary school at Dharmasati Gandaman village in Mashrakh area of Saran district on July 16.
PMCH superintendent Amarkant Jha Amar told The Pioneer that 22 children were discharged from the hospital after a medical board found them fit for the purpose. Two remaining children and a cook would be discharged soon, he added
The cook, Manju Kumar is quite scared of going to village after the mid-day meal tragedy and hence she expressed her wish to spend some more time at the hospital. The treatment of two other children is still not over and hence they have not been discharged, Jha informed. The PMCH authorities also gifted new clothes and toys to these children before they left for their homes.
Children also made an appeal to PMCH doctors to visit their village and doctors also accepted their request promptly. All children went to their village in ambulances in company with doctors and civil and police authorities.
Jha said that the PMCH handled the crisis situation very effectively and children were given the best treatment available at the hospital. The credibility of the hospital has also increased remarkably the way doctors and administrative personnel handled the situation when children started arriving at the hospital in a very critical situation after they consumed poisonous meals.
The State Government is also planning to construct a memorial in respect of the 23 children who lost their lives after consuming the mid-day meal.