A distressing incident unfolded on Friday night in Tripura as a total of 12 students from a hostel located in Teliamura fell ill shortly after consuming their dinner.
The affected students, belonging to classes I to VIII, were swiftly transferred to the Teliamura sub-divisional Hospital for urgent medical attention. Preliminary suspicions point to food poisoning as the likely cause behind this sudden health crisis.
The afflicted students are inmates of the Hostel of the Hari Radha Vidya Mandir which is situated in the Lakhai Bazar area, falling under the jurisdiction of the Teliamura police station. What began as mild discomfort – breathing problem – rapidly escalated, leaving the students in a precarious state. Authorities at the hostel were promptly notified of the situation, prompting them to take immediate action to transfer the ill students to the hospital for necessary treatment.
The incident sparked widespread panic among the guardians of the affected students. Some parents even alleged instances of misconduct and medical negligence on the part of healthcare professionals operating within the Emergency Ward of the Teliamura sub-divisional hospital. Tensions ran high as concerned parents grappled with the distressing circumstances their children were facing.
According to the hostel’s administration, the dinner menu included bamboo shoot curry, a delicacy that holds regional significance. It is suspected that students suffer food poisoning from the bamboo shoot dish.
However, hostel authorities have introduced an alternate explanation as well. They suggested that it might be that some students suddenly became frightened in night’s darkness and other students panicked at this and started felling unwell. This logic did not convince the parents of the affected students.
As of now, the affected students continue to receive medical treatment at the Teliamura sub-divisional Hospital. Sources said their conditions are stable.
The Hostel authority said they are working to ascertain the precise cause of the health crisis.