TIRUNELVELI: A challenge over who among them can consume the most iron supplement tablets provided at their school led to the hospitalisation of four Class 7 students of a government-aided school near Kalakkad from drug overdose on Friday evening. Their health condition is stable, officials said.
On Friday, a medical team visited the school and distributed ferrous sulphate tablet strips to students. Four Class 7 students, all of them aged 12, challenged each other during recess on who can consume the most number of the supplement tablets.
Accordingly, one of the four consumed 15 tablets at once, while the other three consumed seven, three and four of the supplement respectively. After returning to their individual houses in the evening, all four began to complain of severe stomach pain.
Alarmed by their condition, their parents took them to the Nanguneri government hospital. Two of them, whose condition was worsening, were referred to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), officials said.
On information, the Kalakkad police held inquiries. Meanwhile, parents alleged that the students were given more tablets without even raising awareness about its effects on them. The tablets should have been distributed to the nodal teacher, they added.
When enquired, Chief Education Officer (CEO) M Sivakumar told TNIE that he was conducting an inquiry into the incident. While mentioning the four students having collected more tablets from their classmates, District Health Officer Dr Velmurugan said that all the four are stable.
"Students can take a ferrous sulphate tablet once in three days. Consuming more tablets would result in health issues," he added.