Paradeep: As many as 14 Students fell ill after consuming expired folic acid pills post-lunch at Atharbanki Lockpada Primary School, Paradeep of Jagatsinghpur district on Monday. All the sick students are admitted to Atharbanki Hospital.
Following the incident residents of the Lockpada colony confronted the school headmaster. Symptoms like stomach pain, vomiting, and body aches appeared post-ingestion. The school’s teacher disclosed that 18 students had taken the pills, but adverse effects were seen in 14 of them at the medical centre. They were discharged from Atharbanki Hospital after treatment.
According to reports, those pills are supplied to the school from the medical centre, which is received by the school principal or teacher. Once a week, post-lunch, the pills are consumed by students and teachers. However, the students fell ill within an hour of taking the pills on Monday.
Upon examining the matter, it was found that the outer packaging of the folic acid iron pills indicated a manufacturing date of 2023 and an expiry date of 2025, whereas the actual pills inside were marked with a manufacturing date of 2019 and an expiry date of 2021. This discrepancy led to tension in the Lockpada Colony.
Despite the severity of the situation and the detention of the headmaster by the locals, no official visited the school. The headmaster was released by the colony residents after four long hours.
After the children returned from the medical centre, CRC Shusant Kumar Swain assured to conduct an investigation. Dr Nirmalya Biswal, the Medical Officer, confirmed that the children are being treated and are recovering.
