What Led to the Illness of Over 60 Students at Kheda School?

Ahmedabad, Sep 5 (NationPress) Chaos erupted at Gyanshakti Residence School in Matar taluka, Kheda district, Gujarat, when more than 60 students reported symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, fainting, and panic attacks. The affected children were swiftly transported to Kheda Civil Hospital in 108 ambulances on Thursday night, creating a scene of disorder as medical staff rushed to provide care.

Initial investigations by district officials uncovered unsanitary conditions in the school kitchen, where food was being prepared amidst filthy surroundings.

Machines for making flour and roti were reportedly not maintained properly, and dirty utensils were discovered near food items.

Authorities documented the kitchen’s condition before and after it was hastily cleaned following their inspection.

High-ranking officials, including the District Health Officer, District Primary Education Officer, and Kheda Mamlatdar, evaluated both the school and the hospital.

Food samples have been collected for laboratory analysis, and strict action is anticipated against the school administration if negligence is established.

While parents and local residents accused the school of significant oversights and attempting to cover up the incident, health officials downplayed concerns of food poisoning.

“There is no visible indication of food poisoning. Only one child exhibited typical vomiting, while a few others displayed mild seasonal symptoms,” stated Health Officer V.S. Dhruv.

He emphasized that if contaminated food were the cause, a larger number of children would have exhibited severe symptoms. The investigation is ongoing.

Over the past year, Gujarat has experienced numerous notable food poisoning instances across various environments.

In Dahod district, more than 60 female students at a residential school fell ill after dinner, showing symptoms like vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain.

At Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) in Vadodara, over 100 female hostel students suffered from acute food poisoning after an evening meal, requiring hospitalization. The contractor has since been blacklisted for lacking a valid food license.

In Mehsana, 33 individuals became ill after consuming ‘Kopra Pak’ at a local school event, with several hospitalized and samples sent for testing.

Historic outbreaks include Sudamda (Sayla), where over 300 individuals, including many children, were affected by contaminated buttermilk served as 'prasad', and in Gir Somnath, where 250 wedding guests were hospitalized after consuming tainted buttermilk.

On the regulatory front, the Gujarat FDCA conducted over 190 raids in 2024–25, seizing 351 tonnes of suspected substandard or adulterated food items valued at ₹10.5 crore. Of the 60,448 samples tested, 1.45 percent failed quality assessments, and 0.17 percent were classified as unsafe.

Enforcement actions included 980 adjudication cases and 87 court proceedings, and the state has enhanced testing infrastructure with new laboratories and mobile testing units.