40 girl students who took iron tablets fall ill in T'gana

Around 40 girl students complained of nausea after consuming iron tablets given as part of central health sceheme RBSK at a residential school in Adilabad district of Telangana on Thursday, officials said.

Some of them were being admitted to a hospital to be "on safe side", they said.

About 400 students, between the age of 10 and 15, of the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Girls Residential School at Anukunta Village were given iron tablets under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram programme and around 40 of them complained of nausea, Adilabad District Medical and Health officer Dr Thodasam Chandu said.

To be on safe side, we are admitting 10-15 girls to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. All the students are safe, the official told PTI.

He said the tablets were supposed to be consumed after taking food. However, some of the students appeared to have taken it in empty stomach.

The tablets are given to prevent iron deficiency which causes anaemia.

RBSK is an important initiative aimed at early identification and intervention for children from birth to 18 years to cover defects at birth, deficiencies, diseases, development delays including disability.