55 Students Sick After Taking Deworming Pills in Tripura

Fifty-five schoolchildren fell ill after they were administered deworming tablets at various places in North Tripura's Dharmanagar sub-division on Wednesday.

The children were given deworming tablets as part of a statewide campaign in schools and anganwadi centers, said sub-divisional magistrate Shankar Debnath.

The children, who fell ill, are between 10 and 15 years and are from five schools. Debnath added that the children first complained of stomach pain and started vomiting after they had the tablets. 

The students were taken to Dharmanagar District Hospital and except two girls, all were discharged after treatment.

The state health secretary M Nagaraju said, "We have ordered a test of the tablets, as well as the water and midday meal, of the five schools. Thousands of students were administered the same medicine across the state. Barring the five schools, we haven't received complaints from anywhere. Nevertheless, we are looking into the matter seriously."

According to officials, about 16 lakh children are supposed to have deworming tablets by February 14.

Source: Medindia