Student health woes: Dead lizard found in mid-day meal, 146 students hospitalized after iron dose!

Despite the outrage over the midday meal horror in Bihar that killed 22 children, shocking incidents of contaminated food being served to school kids keep emerging.

Another tragedy was prevented at a government school in Haryana’s Palwal district on Monday after a dead lizard was found in the food before it was served to the students.

Mid-day meal scheme
The reptile was found in the rice that was cooked to be distributed to children under the mid-day meal scheme, the officials reported on Monday.

Mid-day meal scheme, launched by the government in 2001, covers around 12 crore (120 million) Indian children. But, increased incidences of poisoned and unhygienic mid-day meals have raised health concerns among health ministry and government officials undertaking the program.

Following protest from parents, the district authorities are looking into the matter and have also promised disciplinary action against those found guilty.

In the wake of the Bihar tragedy, Charan Singh, sarpanch of village has decided to boycott the existing mid-meal arrangement until a safe system is put in place.

He stated, “We demand strong action against those who supply the mid-day meal. The entire village has decided that the mid day meal won’t be supplied to our schools anymore.”

Gurgaon students’ hospitalized after iron dose
A day after dead lizard was found in mid-day meal in Haryana, many school kids were taken ill after consuming iron tablets provided by a government school in Gurgaon.

Following intake of the iron tablets most of the students complained of vomiting, diarrhoea, headache and stomach pain. According to reports, around 26 students were admitted to civil hospital here while another 30 were undergoing medical intervention at Bhondsi Primary Heath centre.

“As many as 146 student with different illness were treated in primary health centers and community heath centers,” said an official.

The tablets were given to students as part of the re-launch of Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplement (WIFS) programme by Haryana’s health department for the anaemic

Gurgaon Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Pushpa Bishnoi stated, “Students reported giddiness after consuming iron tablets but there was nothing to worry. This programme is for the betterment of the health of children and will continue.”