Bihar School Incident: 34 Students Hospitalized After Detergent Mistakenly Added to Midday Meal

In a troubling incident from Bihar’s Nalanda district, thirty-four students at a government school were hospitalized after consuming detergent mistakenly added to their midday meal instead of salt. This alarming case occurred at the Middle School in Parasi, located in the Noorsarai block, and has raised serious concerns about food safety in schools across the region.

Reports indicate that the students began experiencing symptoms of food poisoning shortly after their meal. They complained of a burning sensation in their throats and severe stomach pain. According to Nalanda Civil Surgeon Jai Prakash Singh, while the situation was serious, the students’ health was stable following medical attention. The incident has prompted immediate scrutiny into the food preparation processes at schools.

The headmaster of the school, Shailendra Kumar Singh, explained that the meal was provided by a local non-governmental organization (NGO) and included rice along with a soybean-potato curry, in accordance with the government’s midday meal scheme. He mentioned that the meals are served in multiple sittings to accommodate the students. During the second sitting, a young girl, who is the granddaughter of one of the cooks, requested extra salt. Unfortunately, the cook inadvertently grabbed a packet of detergent powder instead of salt, leading to a catastrophic mix-up.

Singh elaborated on the unfortunate incident, stating that after the initial mistake, other students also asked for additional salt and were similarly served detergent. Shortly thereafter, students began to exhibit distressing symptoms, prompting immediate action from the staff. They quickly informed the authorities and sought medical help for the affected students.

This incident underscores the critical need for stringent food safety measures in schools, particularly regarding the preparation and distribution of midday meals. The Bihar government has been proactive in initiating various schemes to improve nutrition among students, but incidents like this highlight that there is still a long way to go in ensuring the safety and quality of food served to children. Stakeholders must be reminded of their responsibility in safeguarding the health of young learners to prevent such alarming situations in the future.

Source: scroll.in