COIMBATORE: 13 hostellers of a private school in Lakshminaickenpalayam near Sulur were admitted in the Sulur government hospital on Monday night after they complained of uneasiness, due to a suspected case of food poisoning.
All the 13 boys were given black channa (sundal), tea and juice by the hostel on Monday evening, after consuming which, one of the boys allegedly fell ill. Some of the students allegedly fainted on the campus after consuming the food. “Of the 13, eight of them were given Intravenous Therapy (IV),” said Sulur block medical officer Dr S Vanitha, adding that food safety department officials had collected samples of the hostel food.
The boys have recovered and are under observation at the hospital. In a similar incident, two girls studying from the Ramanathapuram Government Girls higher secondary school in ward 65 in the city began vomiting on the campus on Tuesday allegedly due to flu and fever.
Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation’s (CCMC) City Health Officer Dr Pradeep V Krishna Kumar, along with the health department officials, rushed to the spot and began investigating the matter. The officials later organised a fever camp for the students at the school campus.
Speaking to TNIE, Kumar said 834 students in the school were screened, out of whom 12 were found to have symptoms of flu and fever. “The campus was fogged using mosquito repellent and other dengue prevention works were also carried out on Tuesday. People don’t need to fear about this as this is just seasonal flu,” he added.