Daijiworld Media Network - Dahod

Dahod, Jul 3: A suspected case of food poisoning at a girls' residential school in Mandor Lukhadia village, Dahod district, left at least 60 students ill, prompting an emergency medical response and a full-scale investigation by health and food safety authorities. The students began showing symptoms like vomiting, stomach pain, and nausea shortly after dinner, with 12 of them initially rushed to Limkheda Government Hospital. As the night progressed, more students reported similar symptoms and were transported by ambulance for treatment.

Doctors have confirmed that all students are now stable, attributing their recovery to timely intervention. However, officials have raised alarms over the safety of food served in residential institutions. Senior district authorities and food safety inspectors arrived at the hospital late at night to monitor the situation and collect food samples from the evening meal for laboratory testing.

The school, which serves hundreds of girls from surrounding tribal communities, has previously been part of welfare-focused initiatives, making the incident particularly concerning. Investigations are underway, and authorities are awaiting test results to identify the exact cause of the illness.

This incident echoes a similar food safety lapse on June 18, when 25 children in Bhawani Nagar fell ill after consuming contaminated buttermilk. Such recurring health scares have led the state government and the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) to tighten food safety protocols across Gujarat.

Between April 2024 and March 2025, the FDCA seized more than 351 tonnes of potentially hazardous or substandard food items across the state. Laboratory analysis during this period revealed that 1.45 percent of the samples failed to meet mandated safety standards. In response, district health departments have been ordered to conduct routine sampling of food and water in schools, while local civic bodies are now tasked with training kitchen staff in hygiene and food handling practices.

Awareness campaigns are also being rolled out in high-risk areas to educate communities on safe cooking and food storage methods, as the state ramps up its efforts to prevent further such incidents.