At least 120 Lambada tribal people from two tandas in A. Konduru mandal of Krishna district on Tuesday fell ill reportedly after consuming ‘panakam’ served during the Srirama Navami celebrations on Monday.
The drink made by mixing jaggery and other ingredients in water, is especially served during the festival.
A preliminary report by the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) T. Padmaja Rani revealed that people of Chaitya Thanda and Mytreyi Thanda had consumed the ‘panakam’.
“The local people drank the panakam which was stored in plastic bottles, following which diarrhoea cases were reported,” said Ms. Padmaja Rani.
5 shifted to Vijayawada
At least 120 people had been admitted to the health centres at Mylavaram and Tiruvuru while five, including two children, had been shifted to Vijayawada for better treatment,” she said and claimed that the health condition of all the patients was stable.
A team of doctors has been sent to attend to the people of the two thandas.
The doctors have collected the samples of the drink which would be sent to a lab for analysis.
Collector B. Lakshmikantam inspected the health centres and the thandas and checked the medical care being extended there.
