Lizard falls into utensil, 49 students falling ill after consuming school lunch

A lizard accidentally fell into the cooking utensil, and unfortunately, 49 students got sick after eating their lunch at Appanadoddy government primary school. This happened on a Saturday when 188 students had their afternoon meal.

All the students who fell ill were taken to hospitals and later released after receiving treatment, according to the officials. The incident happened at Appanadoddy government primary school, where 188 students had their lunch on Saturday.

Out of these students, 123 were from Classes 1 to 5 and they ate the food. One student started experiencing stomach pain and vomiting and was quickly admitted to the Raichur Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) Teaching Hospital. Thirty-seven students received treatment at the nearby Yapaldinni Primary Health Centre.

The teachers immediately informed health officials about what happened, and a team of doctors arrived at the school to treat the affected students. An additional 30 students were treated right there at Appanadoddy School itself. The health department has also set up a camp in the village to keep an eye on the situation.

After being informed about the incident, Rural MLA Basanagowda Daddal quickly visited Appanadodi's school, Yapaldinni Primary Health Centre, and RIMS to inspect the situation. A discussion took place involving school teachers, SDMC (School Development and Monitoring Committee) members, parents, villagers, and health department officials.

Officials who are knowledgeable about the matter mentioned that the Minor Irrigation and Science Technology Minister, N.S. Bosaraju, has instructed the district collector and the zilla parishad chief executive officer to keep a close watch on the students' health.

"In light of the Appana Doddy incident, it is essential for the school principal and kitchen staff to take necessary precautions to prevent similar incidents in the future," stated Bosaraju. He further emphasized that the officers should guide school headmasters to ensure proper arrangements are made for hygienic cooking and the use of clean water in the cooking process.

The district administration has given instructions to inspect the kitchen staff and school heads immediately after cooking. Dr. Surendra Babu, the District Health Officer (DHO) of Raichur, shared an update on the students' health. That morning, five students were discharged from RIMS, and on Saturday night, 44 students were also released from the hospital. Dr. Babu mentioned that many parents became worried after hearing the news and took their children to hospitals for precautionary measures.

However, he assured everyone that all the students are now safe and in good health. Immediately after the incident, a team of healthcare professionals was sent to the village to provide medical treatment to the students. Additionally, water and food samples were collected and sent to a laboratory for testing. The results of the tests are currently awaited.