Top News

Cuttack: At least 15 students of Ravenshaw University’s East Hostel were admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack city after suffering from loose motion and vomiting on Wednesday morning.

Their condition is said to be stable.

While students blamed contaminated water and food for their hospitalisation, the hostel authorities have downplayed the possibility of mass food poisoning. “None of the 15 students have shown any symptom of vomiting or diarrhoea after admission. I spoke to one student who said he had vomited thrice. There are around 180 students in the hostel, but only 15 reported such symptoms. If it were a case of food poisoning, more students would likely have been affected,” said Sarat Kumar Rout, Warden of the East Hostel.

According to sources, the students started vomiting and complained of loose motion after consuming meals served in the hostel on Tuesday night. “We had egg tadka, roti, and bhaji for dinner. Soon after eating, many students began vomiting and suffered from diarrhoea. As the night progressed, additional students developed the same symptoms,” said Biswajit Mohalik, a resident of the East Hostel.

In July, 32 students of the varsity were hospitalised incident of food infection was reported at the New PG Hostel and Dharmapada Hostel. It was alleged that the students were served stale fish curry in the afternoon following which they fell ill. The university had then removed the chief hostel warden, chief warden (boys), deputy chief warden (girls) and warden of New PG hostel.

The hostel boarders further alleged that there are only two water purifier units in the hostel and one of them has been out of order for a long time. The other unit is also not being maintained properly.

Meanwhile, officials from the Health Department and the Cuttack Municipal Corporation’s food safety unit inspected the hostel and its canteen. They also collected samples of water and cooked food for laboratory testing.