Bhubaneswar: Expressing concern over the incident in which as many as 30 students of Paradip-based Lock Pada Primary School allegedly fell ill after consuming expired iron tablets, the Block Education Officer (BEO) suspended two teachers on charges of dereliction of duty.
According to sources, BEO suspended headmistress Manjulata Samal and assistant teacher Dipti Swain. That apart, the BEO issued show-cause notices to two other assistant teachers.
Meanwhile, the Health Department has seized over a hundred strips of expired medicine from the school premises.
It is learnt from sources that the Ciano Pharma Private Limited company, a Madhya Pradesh-based firm manufactured these tablets in December 2019 and the medicines expired in December 2021.
Students were allegedly given these expired tablets in 2024, three years after their expiry date. Shortly after ingestion, several students complained of stomach ache, nausea, and uneasiness, with some even vomiting. The affected students were promptly taken to the Biju Memorial Hospital at Atharabanki in Paradip.
