ROURKELA/BERHAMPUR : About 34 students from two schools in Sundargarh and Rayagada districts were taken ill after allegedly consuming mid day meal served in their institutions on Tuesday.
Thirty students of Udusu Primary school in Sundargarh’s Bisra block who fell ill were admitted to the Bisra Community Health Centre (CHC). While four with symptoms of food poisoning were kept under observation, others were discharged after treatment. Bisra block education officer (BEO) Supravat Behera said the situation was under control.
Behera said the MDM is supplied to all the schools of the district by one organisation but students of Udusu school only fell sick. Samples of food and water have been collected and sent for test, he informed.
Meanwhile, four Class IX students at the government Sevashram in Rayagada district’s Rivelkana village also suffered the same sickness after having their daily MDM. According to sources, the students became unconscious while the classes were underway and were rushed to the Rayagada district headquarters hospital.
As the news spread, parents of the students gathered in front of the hospital, which led to a commotion. While some claimed the girls fell ill due to food poisoning, others alleged they became unconscious due to fear of ghosts.
Chanchala Sahu, matron of the school said they initially suspected the girls fainted due to food poisoning but ruled it out as over 150 others who ate the food didn’t fall ill. “One of the girls fainted due to epilepsy and the others became unconscious after seeing her. The doctors also said the girls fainted due to shock,” she said, adding that the girls were discharged from the hospital in the evening.