Food poisoning: 20 students of Siddipet school hospitalised after consuming mid-day meal

Hyderabad: Around 20 students of Telangana Minorities Residential School in Siddipet who fell sick from food poisoning are still unwell. They are admitted to the Government General Hospital in Siddipet. Thirteen of them are expected to be discharged in the next few hours. According to officials, the students are recovering and have mild stomach pains.

Dr. Juloori Kasinath, the district medical and health officer of Siddipet, said, "Twenty patients are currently admitted to the hospital. All are in stable condition. There are no cases of vomiting or diarrhea since last night. They only have stomach pain."

On the evening of 27 June, around 120 students of Telangana Minorities Residential School in Siddipet reportedly fell ill from food poisoning. Initially, 32 students were admitted to the Government General Hospital.

According to reports, the food poisoning was caused by the eggplant curry served with chicken in the mid-day meal provided by the school on Sunday. The students immediately started vomiting and had diarrhea. They reportedly had severe stomach pain since Sunday night but the matter was kept secret and the school authorities tried to cover it up. However, the situation worsened by Monday as their pain turned unbearable. Then the students were shifted to the hospital for treatment.

Dr. Kasinath also said schools should ensure that the meat and vegetables are fresh and cooked well. Kitchens should be clean and all students should maintain personal hygiene, he added.