The Hindu : Food poisoning: 132 inmates of Poor Home taken ill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Food poisoning: 132 inmates of Poor Home taken ill

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 21. What was intended as a treat from a sponsor turned sour for the child inmates of the Sri Chitra Poor Home with over a hundred of them being hospitalised with symptoms of food poisoning.

According to officials at the Poor Home, 132 child inmates had been hospitalised at the General Hospital and the Medical College Hospital, following complaints of stomach pain, vomiting and dysentery.

While 123 children were admitted to the General Hospital, nine were taken to the Medical College Hospital. As many as 108 were girls. Though the condition of none of the children was serious, they had been retained overnight at the respective hospitals as a measure of precaution.

The Industries Minister, P. K. Kunhalikutty, asked the Director of Social Welfare to conduct an inquiry into the food poisoning episode and submit a report in two days.

The children were served `idli' for breakfast which was sponsored by a person. The food was delivered from a catering service based in Chittazham near Mannanthala. By 10-30 a.m., reports of children taking ill began pouring in from three schools in the city. Starting with a report to the Poor Home officials of five children falling sick during classes at the Fort High School, the numbers gradually swelled to over a hundred within a short span of half-an-hour following similar complaints from Sri Chitra Home LPS and the Chettikulangara School.

Following a directive from the District Medical Officer, the majority of the children were taken to the General Hospital to make it easier to coordinate their treatment.

The more seriously dehydrated children were hospitalised at the Medical College Hospital.

According to the General Hospital RMO, K. Rajendran, the condition of the children was stable. The patients were administered symptomatic treatment with anti-vomiting drugs and IV fluids. The Physical Medicine ward was set apart for treatment of the children. Samples of the food had been sent for analysis at the Public Health Laboratory. Among those who visited the children at the hospital were the Health Minister, P. Sankaran, the Cultural Affairs Minister, G. Karthikeyan, V. S. Sivakumar, MP, the Leader of the Opposition, V. S. Achuthanandan, and others.

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