At least 35 students from the TG Model School in Ramayampet fell ill after allegedly finding a lizard in their breakfast at a government girls' hostel on Tuesday. The affected students exhibited symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming their meal, according to the District Educational Officer (DEO).
After conducting an inquiry, the DEO submitted a report to higher officials including the District Collector. The report detailed that the students fell ill after consuming upma and one student noticed a lizard in the meal, as reported by PTI.
After the incident, the DEO reported that 17 students were taken to a primary health centre (PHC) in Ramayampet mandal for treatment, while two students experiencing severe stomach pain were transferred to another hospital. Later, an additional 70 students were taken to the health centre for a checkup. The students were kept under observation for six hours to monitor for symptoms of food poisoning such as vomiting, loose motions, and high fever. After no such symptoms were observed and except for two students with stomach pain, the remaining 15 students were discharged from the hospital.
The two students with stomach pain were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Medak.
In response to the incident, show-cause notices were issued to the Special Officer and caretaker of the hostel, and a cook and an assistant cook were terminated for alleged negligence, as per a report on India Today.