Tura, Oct 12: Around 80 people, including women and children, have been admitted to hospitals in North Garo Hills and neighbouring Goalpara in Assam after a suspected case of food poisoning that occured on October 9th during a local football match at Adokgre ground in Kharkutta constituency.
According to district officials of North Garo Hills, hundreds of spectators who were at the football venue for the game consumed a mixture of lenthils, locally known as “chana mix” from a local vendor and a few hours later began to experience discomfort and started to arrive at the Adokgre health centre with gastrointestinal problems.
“The patients began to check into the Adokgre PHC from Wednesday evening itself. At present the registered patients have reached 80. Six(6) patients have been referred to other hospitals due to severe symptoms, but fortunately all are currently stable,” informed North Garo Hills police chief Swapnil Pawar.
The suspected food items have been seized by the Food Safety Officer of North Garo Hills which will be sent to Shillong for testing. At present many of the patients have recovered and released from the PHC.
The Deputy Commissioner along with the Superintendent of Police visited the patients at Adokgre PHC and have urged the people not to panic & to report any person with similar symptoms so that medical help may be given as soon as possible.
Apart from the two doctors from Adokgre PHC, additional two doctors and four staff nurses have been brought in from Resubelpara CHC to help deal with the crisis. Necessities such as additional beds, bedsheets, pillows, buckets etc have been procured by the DMHO in collaboration with the District Administration.
