MADURAI: Following the TNIE's report titled “Polytechnic college students flag lack of clean water & sanitation in hostel,” officials from the Health, Social Welfare and Food Safety departments jointly inspected the hostel campus on Monday.
During the inspection, Health Department officials conducted basic medical examinations for students residing on the campus. Corporation sanitation workers, along with the polytechnic's sanitation staff, cleaned the premises. Officials also instructed the hostel authorities to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation on the campus.
The polytechnic authorities also replaced old electrical wiring and installed new lights wherever necessary. Speaking to the TNIE, a Food Safety official said samples of cooked food and stored food grains were collected during the inspection. “The preliminary inspection revealed no issues with the cooked food or food grains. However, stagnant water, unclean toilets and contaminated water could cause health issues among students. Further findings will be known after the sample results are received,” he said.
A medical officer from the corporation Health Department said around 118 students underwent basic health check-ups following the TNIE report. A few students who reported symptoms such as fever and loose motion were advised to undergo blood tests.
The corporation also collected water samples for testing and plans to conduct a sanitation inspection on Tuesday, the medical officer said.
Students thanked the authorities for responding to the report and said the campus was cleaned and basic electrical works were carried out following its publication. However, one student alleged that sanitation workers at the hostel had only poured phenyl in the toilets without properly cleaning them.