120 students hospitalized in UP after National Deworming Day drive
What's the story
Over 120 students were hospitalized in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad and Mainpuri districts after a deworming drive on February 10. In Farrukhabad, the children complained of headaches and vomiting soon after taking Albendazole tablets at Jawahar Lal Prema Devi School in Rathora Mohaddinpur village. Out of around 150 students who consumed the medication, nearly 100 reported discomfort, causing panic among parents and school authorities.
Medical response
District magistrate visits hospital, oversees treatment
According to officials, 33 students were rushed to Kamalganj's Community Health Centre and 67 others were admitted to the Lohia Hospital at the district headquarters. Chief Medical Officer Dr Avanindra Kumar said that similar deworming campaigns were held across other schools in Farrukhabad but reports of discomfort were limited to this specific school. "All the admitted children are stable. There could be some other reason behind the sudden illness," he added
Parallel incident
Symptoms could have been due to panic: CMO
In Mainpuri, nearly two dozen students at a government composite school in Nagla Keeratpur also fell ill on National Deworming Day. Chief Medical Officer Dr RC Gupta said most of these children were discharged after treatment. He added that symptoms could have been due to panic and anxiety and not negligence, as the tablets are safe.
Political fallout
Political reactions over incident
The incidents have sparked political reactions. The Samajwadi Party called it a "medical emergency" and alleged "fake medicines" were used. The Aam Aadmi Party demanded action over systemic negligence, while the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad alleged "expired or substandard" medicines were used and medical care was delayed. ABVP's Braj secretary Anand Kathariya demanded suspension, legal action against those guilty, a high-level inquiry, and safeguards against recurrence.