Gurgaon, Jul 23 (IANS): Nearly two dozen government school students fell ill here Monday, with some of them requiring medical help, after consuming iron supplement tablets, officials said.

Most of the students who complained of vomiting-diarrhoea, head ache and stomach pain were treated at primary heath centres and community health centres and discharged after a few hours, a doctor said.

"Nearly 20 students reported giddiness after consuming iron tablets but there was nothing to worry," Pushpa Bishnoi, chief medical officer (CMO) told IANS.

The tablets were given to students as part of the re-launch of Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplement (WIFS) programme by Haryana's health department. Iron supplement tablets help in overcoming anaemia.

"This programme is for the betterment of the health of children and will continue," said Bishnoi.

Sapna, 14, a Class 10 student, Manisha and Annu of Class 7, all from village Sikanderpur (Badha), felt giddy after eating the iron tablets. They were admitted in civil hospital for treatment, said an official.

"Four students each from Bhangrola and Sikanderpur fell ill after consuming iron tablets," said a medical representative.

Nearly a dozen students were reported ill in Sohna area, the official said.

At some schools in Sohna sub-division, scared students ran away on seeing medical teams which had come to give them iron tablets, a teacher, who did not wish to be named, told IANS.

Nearly 11,000 students were given the supplement tablets while more then 3,500 refused the free dose, an official said.

Bishnoi said it was medically accepted that people taking iron tablets on an empty stomach may suffer from giddiness or vomiting sensation.

The WIFS programme will cover about 16 lakh students studying in government schools of the state.

In Gurgaon, more than one lakh students would be given one tablet every week for more than six months.