Angul: While Odisha is observing massive campaign on the occasion of National Deworming Day today, some of the students of an upper primary school in this district were taken ill and admitted to the local hospital.
While the incident has occurred at Balipata Rathasahi Project Upper Primary (UP) School under Chhendipada block, 26 students (both boys and girls) fell ill after being administered the free deworming drug by the District Health Department through their school teacher.
They have been now admitted to Balipata Primary Health Centre (PHC).
Earlier, a teacher of each school in the block was imparted training at the conference hall of Chhendipada Panchayat Samiti (Block Office) on the process of administering the deworming drug to the students so that they could apply it on the occasion of National Deworming Day being observed as scheduled.
Accordingly, 173 students were distributed the deworming drug at 1.10 pm after the mid-day meal session and were instructed to consume. 26 students felt uneasy after consuming the distributed deworming drug following which they were rushed to the local PHC.
Talking to media, school headmaster Arun Kumar Pradhan informed, “Tuesday we had attended a training camp at block office on deworming. We were instructed to distribute among all the students in our school on August 8 (today). Hence, we distributed accordingly among all our students.”
He added, “We had also received instructions from the training camp that if any student suffers from vomiting, head reeling stomachache and the symptoms are noticed, nothing to worry. If happens, administer them ORS, allow them to recline in open space, fan facility to be provided. In case of deterioration in health condition, the nearby health centre to be contacted and also consult the ASHA Karmi, ANM didi.”
“Initially 2 students suffered. Later, more students got induced psychologically. Hence, we decided not to take risk and rushed them all to the medical here. 26 students have been admitted here,” the school headmaster stated.