About 200 students from various schools in and around Kottarakkara town were taken ill on Monday and Tuesday following a suspected food-poisoning incident. All of them had taken part in the Republic Day rally in the town on Sunday.
Preliminary investigations suggested problems with the cool drink distributed to students during the rally. The first reports of food poisoning came from Jawahar Navodaya School, near Kottarakkara, with 25 students showing symptoms on Monday.
Health authorities from the taluk hospital, Kottarakkara, rushed to the school and provided emergency medical treatment. On Tuesday, more students of the school showed symptoms food poisoning. All of them were out of danger. But a few who needed more medical attention were shifted to the taluk hospital, health authorities said.
District Collector, Kollam, B. Mohanan, who visited the school on Tuesday, ordered a two-day closure of the institution. By now, students from other schools were also taken to the taluk hospital with similar symptoms.
The hospital had the facility to provide treatment to about 140 persons. As more students reported ill, the hospital authorities, on the Collector’s directive, opened an emergency medical camp at the nearby Vimalabmika School. Medical and paramedical staff from the primary health centres at Mylom, Ummannur, Kulakkda, and Nedumankavu were deployed.
Students from Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Kottarakkara; Government Girls High School, Kottarakkara; Government Town Upper Primary School; Mar Thoma Girls High School; and Thrikannamangal SKVV High School were taken ill. Mr. Mohanan ordered a probe into the incident by the District Food Safety Officer and the Additional District Magistrate. The Collector directed both the officers to submit their reports in seven days.
The District Medical Office will hold a separate inquiry by Deputy District Medical Officer S. Krishna Kumar.
