Tripura News
De-worming tablets hospitalized 50 students at Dharmanagar, 67 fell sick : Public fury hits hospital; DM, SDM talks to TIWN
Jayanta K Das
PHOTO : Representation Picture. TIWN
DHARMANAGAR, February 11 (TIWN):More than 67 students under Dharmanagar sub division today fell ill after they have consumed de-worming tablets provided by Health Dept. The incident has triggered a huge resentment among the guardians. DM North Dr. Sandeep Rathod said that as many as 67 students fell sick after taking the de-worming pill. And amongst them at least 7 to 8 students has been discharged from the hospital, with 50 students has already been screened primarily. However later asked about the reason of the incident occurred today, Rathod said that at present the concerned administration is investigating the matter, but the deputy collector has already been asked to collect the sample of the pill, and later it will be send to the laboratory for conducting a tests. So far no students has been found critical, and within a couple of hour next some other students is expected to be discharged from the hospital, said Rathod. SDM Dharmanagar Sankar Debnath said that a huge public rage has hit the hospital today following the issue.
Earlier, talking to the reporters here at the civil secretariat Health Minister Badal Chowdhury said that as part of the state-wide campaign on the eve of the National Deworming Day on February 10 Albendazole tablets will be provided -- half tablet to 1-2 years children and one full tablet for 2-19 years. However but, today after the school students under Dharmanagar sub division were provided with the tablets, at least 50 students has fell ill and were hospitalized.
Talking to TIWN today in this regard that at least 40 to 50 students are undergoing treatment at Dharmanagar hospital, following which a huge rage of public could be witnessed at the hospital premises. SDM Dharmanagar Sankar Debnath said that after the tablets were provided to the students a syndrome like vomiting and stomachache could be witnessed among the students, following which all the affected students were immediately sent to the local hospital.
Adding to that Debnath talking to TIWN further said that on Tuesday he himself has checked the expiry of the tablets that were kept to feed the school children and the expiry was found to be normal. But today following the issue the deputy collector were asked to collect the samples used for feeding the students.
However, but the incident has triggered a huge resentment among the guardians of the students today.
It is mentionable here that recently Health Minister Badal Chowdhury said that the state wide campaign programme as part of the De-worming day will cover eight district of the state in first phase and about 16 lakhs children will be targeted in this phase. In schools, teachers would provide one albendazole tablet to enroll children recording the same in the register. Also, Anganwadi workers would provide albendazole dose to all children between 1-5 years and out-of-school children or adolescents and record it in the register.
Sanjay Majumder
Anirban Mitra