7 Children fall ill after consuming Mid-Day Meal in Bairasia; probe underway

 

 

In Bairasia, seven children aged between 3 and 5 years fell ill after consuming mid-day meal at the Anganwadi center in Izgiri village. On Wednesday afternoon, six children were admitted to Bairasia Community Health Center, and one child was shifted to Hamidia Hospital. A total of 64 children who had eaten the meal were examined. The affected children had consumed dal-roti and lapsi as part of the mid-day meal, while children at a nearby secondary school only had dal-roti.

 

Shortly after eating, the children at the Anganwadi center began feeling unwell. Bairasia SDM Ashutosh Sharma reached the site and ordered medical checks. Seven children were found to be in poor condition and were sent to the community health center, with one child being referred to Hamidia Hospital. Talking to ‘The Hitavada’ District Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh said that a health camp was set up and all children were examined. Fortunately, their condition was reported to be stable, though they were kept under observation as a precaution.

 

The contract of the self-help group responsible for providing the mid-day meal at the Anganwadi has been terminated. A samples from the meal have been sent for testing, and the situation will be clarified once the results come in. The responsibility for the mid-day meal at the Izgiri Anganwadi lies with the Balaji Self-Help Group. At around 3:30 pm on Wednesday, the children began complaining of vomiting and diarrhoea. This same group had also provided the mid-day meal at the nearby Izgiri Secondary School, but no issues were reported among those students. To ensure safety, a medical camp was set up at the school by Bairasia doctors, with no health concerns raised among the school children.