Asifabad Food Poisoning: 60 Students Affected, One in Critical Condition

Asifabad: The number of students falling ill due to suspected food poisoning at a tribal welfare department-managed hostel and school in Wankidi mandal has risen to 60. On Saturday, 15 additional students were reported to have fallen ill after consuming contaminated dinner at the hostel, following 45 cases of illness reported earlier in the week.

The affected students were admitted to a primary health center in Wankidi after experiencing symptoms such as stomachaches, vomiting, and diarrhea, which began after dinner on Wednesday night.

While most students were discharged by the evening, the condition of one student, Shailaja, has deteriorated significantly, prompting her transfer to a hospital in Mancherial, where she is currently on a ventilator. Another student, Parvathi, is receiving treatment at a hospital in Kaghaznagar, and Kova Laxmi is being treated at the district headquarters hospital in Asifabad.

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Concerns have been raised by students and parents regarding the unhygienic conditions in which the food is prepared, as well as the lack of proper maintenance for drinking water, which is reportedly cleaned only once a month. Parents have expressed alarm over previous unreported instances of food poisoning at the hostel.

In response to the situation, Khusbu Gupta, Project Officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDAO) in Utnoor, visited the hostel on Saturday to assess the conditions and instructed officials to implement measures to ensure food hygiene in the kitchen.

Gupta urged parents not to withdraw their children from the hostel due to fears of food poisoning and emphasized the need for providing quality meals and medical care for the affected students. She also called for preventive measures to avert future incidents of food poisoning.