Mumbai: 16 Students Suffer Food Poisoning After Consuming Mid-Day Meal At BMC-Run School

Sixteen students were hospitalised after they consumed mid-day meal at a BMC-run school in Mumbai's Chembur.

Mumbai: A disturbing incident has arisen in Mumbai, where at least 16 students from a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run school fell ill after consuming a mid-day meal on Friday. Students from Classes 6 and 7 at a BMC school in Chembur’s Anik village were served the mid-day meal around 9:45 am on Friday. After consuming the meal, the students complained of vomiting and abdominal pain. They were promptly taken to the BMC-run Shatabdi Hospital. According to Jan Shatabdi Hospital’s Dean, Sunil Phakle, the students have been admitted to the pediatric ward, and their condition is stable.

“16 students were brought to the hospital after they complained of vomiting and abdominal pain following the mid-day meal at school. They have been admitted to the pediatric ward. Their condition is stable,” Phakle told ANI.

Notably, the civic school located caters to over 180 students spanning from classes 1 to 8.

Mid-Day Meal: Samples Collected

According to an official speaking to news agency PTI, samples of the midday meal were collected by the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration and sent to a forensic laboratory for analysis.

BMC Deputy Commissioner, Education, D Gangadharan stated that the officials took the samples for further examination. “We have inspected and taken food samples for further examination. We will conduct an inquiry following which appropriate action will be taken.” Gangadharan along with other officers from the BMC education department met children admitted at the hospital.

Mid-Day Meal: Dal khichdi Served To Students 

On Friday, a meal of dal khichdi (made with lentils and rice) was served, and the students were given their meals in the morning. However, students in classes 6 and 7 started experiencing symptoms of nausea and abdominal pain, and some even began to vomit after consuming the food.

Mid-Day Meal: Women’s Self-Help Group Provides Midday Meals

A women’s self-help group from the local area, known as Shantai Mahila Audyogik Gruha, provides midday meals to this school and nearly 20 other schools in the vicinity. The education department of BMC sends samples of both raw and cooked food from the organization’s kitchen for further examination.

According to Anil Sakhalkar, who runs the women’s self-help groups, the issue occurred for the first time “We have been serving mid-day meals to close to 20 schools since 2010. Every day, we serve food to 6,500 children. And there has been no such issue,” he stated.

Mid-Day Meal: BMC Halted Distribution Of Food 

In response to the morning incident, BMC halted the distribution of food for the afternoon session. Consequently, students from other schools relying on the same kitchen did not receive their usual serving of dal and rice today. Instead, they were provided with biscuits or similar alternatives, the Indian Express reported citing sources.