Over 150 children are reported to have been affected by eating a midday meal at a government middle school in Saharsa, panicking parents and sparking a wide-ranging medical response from local authorities.
It was at a middle school in Baluaha village in the district. Several students reported stomach pain, vomiting and fever shortly after consuming the school meal on Wednesday, officials said. Children affected by the attack were immediately taken to nearby health centres, before the majority were taken to larger health units for treatment.
About 115 children were admitted to Sadar Hospital and nearly 50 others were being treated at the Mahishi Public Health Centre, said the District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar. He assured that there was an improvement in the condition of the children and they were being kept under observation as a precautionary measure by doctors.
The district magistrate told reporters that there was no reason to worry as treatment is underway for some children experiencing with mild fever and stomach related problems.
Meanwhile, relatives of some of the students claimed that cooked pulses were kept in a container inside which a snake was found in the school. Residents say that close to 200 students had already eaten the food before anyone suspected that it was contaminated.
The allegations have raised concerns about the cleanliness and food safety in the mid-day meal programme being run by the school. The food sample has been collected from the school kitchen and is being sent to the laboratory. The cause of the ailment would not be known until test results are available, officials said.
The incident has caused anger and concern among parents and residents, who want to see improved oversight of food quality at school. The education and health department has started an investigation into the issue and local administration is keeps an eye on the situation of the affected children.