62 students take ill after consuming folic acid tablets in Saudatti school

He said the same folic acid tablets were being given to the students in government schools once a week on Monday for the past several years.

BELAGAVI: At least 62 school students were admitted to hospital with complaints of vomiting and stomach ache soon after they consumed folic acid tablets after the mid-day meal in their school in Basidoni, Saudatti taluk, on Monday. As usual, all the students of Government Primary School at Basidoni village were given folic acid tablets by the school authorities on Monday after the students drank milk soon after their mid-day meals.

“About 62 students were rushed to Saudatti General Hospital from the school with complaints of stomach ache and vomiting on Monday evening. The doctors found that the children had taken folic acid tablets immediately after having food and milk and that’s why some of them had problems of vomiting and stomach ache due to acidity. However, all the students were given glucose saline at the hospital and the condition of all of them is stable. They were discharged late on Monday itself from the hospital,’’ said District Health Officer of Belagavi, Dr Mahantesh Koni.

He said the same folic acid tablets were being given to the students in government schools once a week on Monday for the past several years. “From the preliminary investigation, it was found that the students had minor health problems due to acidity and nothing else. We have brought the issue to all the senior officials of the Health Department,” he added.

BEO of Saudatti, Karikatti, who was on the spot to help the students said the tablets were being given for the past 15 years to the government schools students in Saudatti to keep them healthy. All the students admitted to hospital were discharged the same day and their condition is stable, he said. Although the condition of all 62 students of the school is stable, the Health Department has kept an ambulance ready in the village as a precautionary measure,according to the DHO.

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