Srikakulam: Cases of students falling sick create flutter

Srikakulam: A Series of incidents in which students fell sick have exposed the loopholes at various government residential educational institutions across the district in recent weeks. District collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar expressed serious concern over these incidents and directed officials concerned to conduct a detailed inquiry and take necessary steps to prevent such incidents.

Ten days ago, students fell sick due to diarrhoea at tribal welfare residential school for girls at Balaga in Srikakulam district headquarters.

Later, at social welfare residential school at Duppala Valasa in Etcherla mandal, students fell sick due to vomiting coupled with stomach pain after eating stale food.

Two days ago, total 10 girl students fell sick due to diarrhoea symptoms at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayam (KGBV) at Kottapeta in Kotabommali mandal. About 20 students fell sick here. They were shifted to community health centre (CHC) at Kotabommali after providing primary treatment by the Tilaru Primary Health Centre (PHC) medical staff.

It is alleged that negligence of local teaching, non-teaching and medical staff was the reason for all three incidents. The main reason for it is lack of sanitation, serving of stale food and contamination of drinking water and lack of cleaning of water supply tanks.

Malaria fevers are spreading at tribal welfare residential school for girls at Vennela Valasa in Sarubujjili mandal. A student Biddika Rishmitha, 8, died of malaria at government RIMS hospital in Srikakulam on Sunday.

The deceased girl was studying Class-III. Another four students are suffering from malaria symptoms and they were being treated at RIMS hospital. On learning of it, the district collector directed the medical and health department and officials of other related departments to take necessary steps by inspecting the school premises physically.