Over 25 students fall ill after consuming mid-day meal at Delhi school

New Delhi: Over 25 girl students fell ill after consuming mid-day meal at a government school in Delhi’s Narela area and were rushed to a hospital, the police said. “About 26 students were taken ill due to food poisoning after consuming mid-day meal. They were taken to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital,” a senior police official said.

According to hospital authorities, the students of Senior Secondary School in Narela’s Bankner complained of abdominal pain. Some of the students have been discharged. The rest are likely to be discharged later in the day, a doctor at the hospital said.

Following the development, the Delhi government’s Education Department has called a meeting of all midday suppliers in the national capital tomorrow. This is second such incident within a week. Two girls were taken ill after having mid-day meal on Saturday at a Delhi government school in East Delhi’s Khichdipur in which a dead lizard was allegedly found. 

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Monday conducted surprise inspection in two kitchens in the city where the meals were being prepared for distribution in schools and warned the workers of strict action if any irregularities were found in future.

“The Education Director has called a meeting of all mid-day meal suppliers tomorrow. I have directed that there should be regular monitoring of the kitchens where meals are prepared. If any of them is found not meeting the required standards, their contract will be cancelled,” Sisodia told reporters. Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam also visited the hospital where the girls were admitted today.