Minister Orders Probe As 3 Ashram School Students Fall Ill
The three were undergoing treatment in the government hospital in Parvathipuram on Friday: Reports
VISAKHAPATNAM: Minister for tribal welfare Gummidi Sandhya Rani has asked the district collector of Parvathipuram Manyam and project officer of ITDA to conduct a probe as three girl students of Kurupam Ashram School fell ill after consuming contaminated pickle brought by their parents.
The three were undergoing treatment in the government hospital in Parvathipuram on Friday.
The minister asked district medical officer Bhaskar Rao to ensure better treatment to the three girls and spread awareness among the parents against bringing in bad quality food from shops.
“The students consumed pickles that were unbranded. These had no expiry date. These were brought by their parents either from their village or from shops near the school on Sunday,’’ said district collector Prabhakar Reddy.
He issued orders on Friday for checks on food vendors operating near residential and general day schools in the district.
Orders had been issued in the past, preventing students from sourcing food from outside. The fresh orders called for removal of food vendors selling various types of food near schools. “We have also asked food safety officials to conduct raids in the villages from where the students hail,’’ the collector said.
Last October, 184 children at a government tribal girls residential school and Eklavya model residential school in Kurupam mandal were found infected with Hepatitis A. Many of them were admitted to King George hospital and the Parvathipuram Manyam district hospital.
Soon after, the district administration conducted screening of students in 107 schools having 31,462 students.
“Even now we are conducting periodic inspections of water supplied in schools and sanitation,’’ the collector claimed.
