Over 800 IIIT, Nuzvid students taken ill, food poisoning suspected; 4th incident in Andhra in August

Amaravati: Questions are being raised about the food standards in educational institutions and orphanages after four food poisoning incidents rocked Andhra Pradesh in August.

The latest in the series of incidents have occurred at IIIT in Nuzvid. Around 340 students fell ill at IIIT in Nuzvid on August 27. For the last three days, over 800 students have fallen ill. The students have complained of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating food at the three hostel messes. Parents of the students have alleged that the management delayed taking preventive measures.

Minister Nara Lokesh responded to the incident and warned the officials to prioritize the health of students and ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.

On Wednesday, Minister for Information and Public Relations and Housing Kolusu Parthasarathy inspected the food court on the campus. He found the staff cooking in a very unhygienic environment. Food and meat were stored for days.

This is the fourth incident of food poisoning in August. The first incident this month was reported on August 18, when three students died and scores were hospitalized after eating food at educational institutions and orphanages.

The incidents at Chittoor Apollo Health University and an orphanage in Anakapalli district, have drawn national attention due to the severity of their impact.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of two reported incidents of food poisoning in Anakapalle and Chittoor that caused severe health complications among students and orphans.

In a statement, grave concern was expressed over the alleged negligence by the authorities concerned about ensuring food safety and quality. The commission highlighted that if the media reports were accurate, the incidents represented a significant violation of human rights.

In response, the NHRC issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police and sought detailed reports on both incidents within two weeks. The report is expected to include the status of the FIRs filed in these cases, the current health condition of the victims, and the measures taken or proposed to prevent such incidents in the future.

AP stands 1st in food adulteration:

According to a report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), food poisoning claimed 18 lives in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh was ranked first in the country for food adulteration cases between 2019 and 2022. In 2022, a total of 4,694 offenses relating to adulteration or sale of food/drugs were reported in the country. Out of these, 2,828 were reported in Andhra Pradesh.

What are the incidents?

On August 18, three children from an orphanage at Kailasapatnam in the Anakapalle district died after eating adulterated food, while 23 children are undergoing treatment. The children ate samosa and chocolates, sponsored by another organization, during a parent-teacher meeting at the orphanage. Later, some of the students went back to their villages along with their parents.

Three students, Bhavani, Shradha, and Nitya, complained of vomiting and uneasiness on August 18. On the next day, they succumbed at their village in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. More than 24 students from the same complained of vomiting and uneasiness on Sunday night. They were immediately admitted to Narsipatnam and Anakapalli Area Hospitals. Four of them who were in critical condition were shifted to KGH in Visakhapatnam. The orphanage, run by Kiran Kumar, accommodates around 86 children from parts of the ASR district. They stay at the orphanage and are studying in the nearby schools.

Soon after the incident, the officials from the Revenue, Police, and Medical and Health departments visited the orphanage to ascertain the reasons for the food poisoning.

On August 21, 70 students at Chittoor Apollo Health University fell seriously ill after consuming contaminated food, with all the affected individuals currently undergoing treatment in the Chittoor Government Hospital.

On August 27, 20 students of Yeleswaram Gurukulam School in Kakinada district were admitted to hospital due to food poisoning. After vomiting, students were rushed to the hospital and treated at Yeleshwaram Government Hospital.

Parents are worried that the school's canteen may be unhygienic and responsible for the incident.