Food Poisoning Incident Reported at Maganur ZP High School
In Mahabubnagar, fifteen students from Maganur ZP High School in Narayanpet district fell ill after consuming rice pongal during breakfast on Wednesday. The students were immediately taken to the Mahabubnagar Government General Hospital, where they are now undergoing treatment.
Upon receiving reports of the incident, Additional Collector of Local Bodies, Shivendra Pratap, was directed by the District Collector to investigate the matter. On Thursday morning, Shivendra Pratap visited the hospital along with RDO Naveen, Municipal Commissioner Maheshwar Reddy, and Food Safety Officer Manoj. During the visit, the team interacted with the affected students and their parents while initiating a detailed inquiry.
One of the students reportedly told a hospital nurse that a worm was found in the rice pongal served for breakfast. After this revelation, the hospital superintendent swiftly replaced the pongal with upma. Despite this, an inspection of the storeroom found no worms in the rice or pulses. These food items, including the pongal, were sent for laboratory testing.
Preliminary lab tests did not reveal any quality defects in the food items. However, the Additional Collector instructed officials to implement strict measures to ensure food quality and emphasized that such incidents must not happen again.
During their visit, the officials, including the Additional Collector, personally tasted the food being served to patients. They expressed satisfaction with its quality and noted that the hospital’s medical staff also consume the same meals daily, as per the hospital’s menu.
The District Collector had visited the hospital on Wednesday night to check on the students and their families. He instructed the hospital staff to provide special medical care to the affected students and assured everyone that the children are now in stable condition.
Authorities have sent the food items for further quality checks to rule out any issues. They have also pledged to take corrective steps to prevent such incidents in the future, ensuring the safety and well-being of students.
