Sahibganj: At least 40 children fell ill and were hospitalized after they were given anti-filarial medicine as part of a health campaign at their school in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand on Friday, officials said. The condition of children is said to be stable, said officials. The incident has been reported from Udhwa block of the district.
Dawood Sheikh, the father of one of the victims, Ayaan Alam, said that on Friday, the children were “forcibly” given three anti-filarial pills each at the Babatola Primary School Hariram Tola. The children were threatened to be slapped for not consuming the medicine, after which they consumed the medicine out of fear, Sheikh alleged.
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After taking the medicine, some children complained of stomach spasms and suffered vomiting and dizziness even as some also fainted for some time, Sheikh said. The worried parents took the children to the local hospital from where they were referred to the sub-divisional hospital Rajmahal, where the children were treated.
Dr Uday said that all the children are out of danger. At around 9 o'clock on Friday, nearly 7 ambulances carried the sick children to the sub-divisional hospital, Rajmahal, one after the other. An official said that the children were later discharged from the hospital late night on Friday. Pertinently, the authorities in Sahibganj started an anti-filariasis campaign on February 10 and will run till 25 February. As part of this, anti-filarial medicine is being given to children at Anganwadi centers and schools.
