70 Odisha kids hospitalised after consuming iron tablets

At least 70 school students have been hospitalised after consuming spurious iron tablets provided to a school by local health authorities in Odisha's Puri District.

Students of the Gopinathpur UGME School complained of wooziness and started vomiting after consuming the iron tablets on Tuesday.

They were taken to the nearest health centre at Rebena Nuagaon and later rushed to the Puri District Hospital.

Local lawmaker Sanjaya Das Verma has demanded an immediate probe in the case.

"The situation has stabilised and I have already discussed it with the district administration, the collector of the district, and I have requested that all medicines and facilities be given," said Verma.

Distributing iron tablets in schools of rural areas is part of a national health programme, carried out under the instructions of doctors to combat anemia in school children, so that they remain mentally and physically fit.

The district administration supplied the iron pills to all schools as part of a drive. Some preventive measures needs to be taken while administering these tablets.

These pills should be administered to children only after the meals, and not be given to ailing children.

Puri collector Naba Kishore Nayak, the additional collector and the chief district medical officer are supervising the reatment of the ill students

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the district collector to probe the matter.