In a serious incident raising alarms over campus food safety, more than seventy students were taken ill after consuming dinner at their hostel in Salem district on Friday night. The affected students are from Vinayaka Mission’s Kirupananda Variyar Medical College & Hospital located at Seeragapadi.
Students Hospitalised with Vomiting and Fainting
The students began showing severe symptoms, including vomiting and fainting, shortly after eating the meal served at the hostel mess. All the affected individuals were promptly admitted to the campus hospital for urgent medical care. Their condition is currently reported to be stable under medical supervision.
Health and Food Safety Officials Spring into Action
Alarmed by the scale of the incident, officials from the health department and the food safety department conducted a thorough inspection of the hostel's dining halls and kitchen on Saturday. Their preliminary investigation has pointed towards a critical lapse. The water used for cooking the food is suspected to be contaminated, leading to the mass illness.
The inspection team collected water samples for detailed laboratory testing to confirm the exact cause of contamination. Furthermore, the officials reported finding unsanitary conditions within both the dining and kitchen areas, compounding the risk.
Kitchen Sealed, Cooking Banned Pending Probe
In a decisive move to prevent any further risk, the authorities removed all food materials from the premises and took the stringent step of sealing the hostel kitchen. A food safety department officer stated, "The food safety department has ordered that no cooking should be allowed until investigations are over." This action underscores the severity of the violations found and ensures no meals are prepared from the facility until it is deemed fully compliant with safety standards.
The incident has sparked serious concerns about the hygiene protocols in educational institution hostels, particularly in medical colleges where health awareness is paramount. A complete investigation is ongoing to fix responsibility and ensure such an event is not repeated.
