Some parents of children studying in The Camford International School at Maniyakaranpalayam near Ganapathy on Thursday picketed the school, alleging that their children were hospitalised, after having food at the school last Friday.
The parents claimed that about 150 students were hospitalised after they developed fever, vomiting and dysentery after eating lunch provided at the school. One of the parents, who did not want to be named, said that his son, studying Standard I in the school, was in the hospital for almost a week.
Students eat breakfast and lunch in the school. On Friday, they were served palak paneer, chapathi, rice, cabbage, dhal, rasam and curd after which they fell ill.
The parents demanded that they be compensated for the treatment of the children. They sought an apology from the school management.
They said the students should not be compelled to eat the food prepared at the school. They also wanted the principal to be replaced. Principal S.G. Kavita told The Hindu that the allegation of the parents was not true. She said that about 1,100 persons including 978 students, 100 teachers and other staff have lunch in the school every day.
“On checking with the register and on interacting with the parents, we learnt that only 20 of them were ill and 11 of them were hospitalised,” she said.
She added that other students were not affected. This would not be so if the reason for illness was food poisoning as was being alleged, she said. However, she did concede that the spinach served on that day might not have agreed with some students.
After talks with the parents, the school has decided to allow the parents the option of sending their children food from home.
Medical expenses
The school has also agreed to meet medical expenses of those students who were hospitalised. Ms. Kavita said that they would study the medical records of the students for ascertaining the cause of illness.
