The district Collector asked for an enquiry into the food poisoning incident in a school due to nearly 200 children fell sick after allegedly consuming food stuffs on the occasion of Ganesh Puja at Nuagaon under Basta block.
“I have sought an inquiry report from the Project Director (SSA). The affected include students and their parents as well as teachers of the school. They had consumed Chuda Prasad (flattened rice, gur, fruits including coconut and banana etc.) and cooked food, including rice, paneer and kheer. Since the cooked food is no longer available, the officer has been directed to collect the sample of dry rations from the shops they were procured as well as water used for cooking,” said Collector Pramod Das.
“In my opinion, it is high time to ban serving of cooked food without proper care and supervision like this festive time during rainy season,” he said. The incident took place in Nityananda Saraswati Sishu Mandir at Nuagaon. The school had 248 students attendance on roll. During Ganesh Puja on Friday not only the students from class I to IX consumed the foods, also their parents and teachers took it. Sources said as many as 170 persons were taken ill after consuming food on Friday.
They experienced nausea, giddiness and vomiting late night on Friday. They were treated at three different places. One temporary camp while was made in the school campus, the serious were admitted in Government run Baliapal Idco hospital and Basta community health centre (CHC).
The teachers of the school maintained that they had no clue how the incident occurred. Following information, local MP RK Jena, MlA Basta Nityananda Sahu and other elected representatives rushed to the place and visited the hospitals and temporary camps. “I have visited all three sites where the affected were treated and talked to the doctors, patients and teachers and also ensured adequate flow of medicines and treatment,” said MP Jena.
A team of doctors and paramedics headed by epidemiologist( ex-CDMO) Dr Brajamohan Patra was deputed to the place to ensure proper treatment, said CDMO Vivekananda Das.
“The team would not only ensure the treatment of the patients, it would also conduct a probe into the incident by collecting the dry stuff samples,” said Das.
Meanwhile, sources said some of the students had been discharged from the health centres.