The district health administration, which carried out inspection of school hostels and schools in the district on Tuesday, found that many schools functioned in poor hygienic conditions, in circumstances that could lead to the outbreak of infectious diseases.
The inspections were carried out as part of SAFE Trivandrum, a public health initiative launched by the district health administration. The District Medical Officer led the inspection in the urban areas, while the additional DMO and medical officers led the drive in Attingal and Neyyattinkara. Officials visited 660 schools, including 286 private schools and 20 residential schools. Notices were issued to 154 schools on various counts
About 950 kg rice, found unfit for human consumption, was destroyed at a school in Maranellore. Sub-standard food materials were found in four other schools. Some schools had not tested and ensured the quality of drinking water sources. Officials found that in many schools that served mid-day meals, the kitchen was not clean and in some places, the cooks and food handlers were found to have diseases.
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Schools were also served notices for not maintaining their urinals and toilets in a clean state. Many schools were also pulled up by the authorities for not displaying the signage, ‘tobacco-free zone’ .