38 KGBV students fall ill in G Sigadam

Srikakulam:  Thirty-eight girl students have been suffering from vomitings, stomach ache and loose motions at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayam (KGBV) at G Sigadam mandal in the district since Thursday night. There are said to be 196 students in the KGBV. 

Late on Thursday night, two students complained of vomiting, stomach pain and loose motions but the local KGBV special officer (SO), P.Sirisha and staff did not take it seriously. However, on Friday night, another 36 students fell sick with same symptoms. KGBV immediately rushed the affected students to primary health centre (PHC) at G Sigadam. 

After preliminary treatment,  they were shifted to community health center (CHC) at Rajam. On receiving the information, district medical and health officer (DM&HO) Dr Sanapala Tirupathi Rao and Rajiv Vidya Mission (RVM) project officer (PO) S Trinadha Rao rushed to Rajam CHC on Saturday morning. 

Condition of the students is said to be stable by evening. On the directions of the collector and joint collector anti-food adulteration wing inspector from Srikakulam S Eswari rushed to KGBV and tested the food items, both prepared and stored raw items.

Doctors opined that use of unsafe drinking water at KGBV might be the reason for the sickness of the children. But the KGBV staff said that they are serving boiled water and some of students are not drinking it, consuming instead direct tap water. In the wake mass sickness, RVM project officer advised the students to vacate hostels for two days to carry out complete cleaning. Relatives and family members of the students rushed to KGBV and started enquiries about health condition of their children.