College Trip to Goa Ends in Hospital Visit for Kerala Students
A much-anticipated college excursion to Goa took a distressing turn for a group of students from Kerala. Sixteen of them fell seriously ill due to suspected food poisoning. The incident occurred in the popular tourist area of Baga, Calangute.
Emergency Response and Hospitalization
The students were part of a larger group of fifty visiting Goa. They arrived on Thursday and stayed at a hotel in Saligao. On Friday, they went sightseeing in Baga, Calangute. For lunch, they ate at a restaurant serving South Indian cuisine.
Soon after consuming the food, many students began feeling unwell. They reported symptoms including nausea, stomach cramps, pain, and vomiting. As their condition worsened, authorities rushed them to the North Goa district hospital in Mapusa.
Medical officials at the hospital confirmed the admission. The sixteen affected students received treatment in the emergency ward. Doctors treated them for dehydration and gastrointestinal distress. After receiving proper care, all students were discharged from the hospital.
Police and FDA Launch Investigation
Local police immediately responded to the situation. They recorded statements from the students to understand the sequence of events. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) also joined the investigation promptly.
FDA officer Richard Noronha led the inspection team. They visited the restaurant where the students had their meal. "We inspected the central kitchen of the restaurant after getting reports that the students had taken ill due to food poisoning," Noronha stated.
The FDA collected crucial evidence from the restaurant:
- Samples of the food consumed by the students
- Raw materials used in the kitchen during preparation
Authorities also plan to record statements from the doctors who treated the students. This will help establish a clear medical correlation between the food and the illnesses.
Restaurant's Previous Inspection History
This was not the first time FDA officials examined this particular restaurant. Just a few months ago, they conducted a routine surveillance check at the establishment. During that inspection, they issued an improvement notice to the restaurant management.
The current incident has raised serious questions about food safety standards at the restaurant. However, investigators noted an interesting detail. Other groups ate at the same restaurant around the same time as the students. None of those other customers reported any health issues or filed complaints.
"There were other groups who consumed food at the same place and time. But no complaints were received from them," confirmed FDA officer Noronha. This discrepancy adds complexity to the investigation.
Police and FDA officials continue their probe into the matter. They aim to determine the exact cause of the food poisoning incident. The findings will help prevent similar occurrences in the future, especially during the busy tourist season in Goa.
