An investigation has been launched by the education department, tasked with delivering milk to government schools as part of the ‘Skeerabhagya’ initiative, following an alarming incident. A total of 23 students from a government primary school in Belgaum were hospitalized after consuming milk found to contain a dead lizard on Thursday morning.
Prabhavati Patil, the Block Education Officer (BEO) for Hukkeri, who personally visited the school, stated, “In a precautionary measure, we promptly took all the affected children to the hospital at Sankeshwar. To avoid causing panic among the students, we refrained from disclosing the reason for their hospitalization.”
The Ullagaddi Khanapur village school complex accommodates Kannada, Marathi, and Urdu primary schools, serving approximately 400 students. Milk distribution occurs around 11:30 in the morning, and on the day of the incident, a staff member discovered a deceased lizard at the bottom of the milk vessel.
Teachers acted swiftly, instructing students to cease drinking and collecting the milk glasses from those who had not consumed them. Of the 50-plus students, 23 had already consumed the contaminated milk and were subsequently hospitalized, as confirmed by Prabhavati Patil.
Upon notification, ambulances were summoned, transporting the affected children to the government hospital in Sankeshwar town. The school headmaster, Kamate, assured that all the children are presently in good health and normal.
“The children were taken to the hospital using two ambulances and a few private vehicles. Anxious parents were also present, and authorities reassured them about the good and normal condition of the children,” mentioned the headmaster.
The education department, overseeing milk supply to government schools through the ‘Skeerabhagya’ scheme, has launched an inquiry into the incident. BEO Prabhavati affirmed, “The agency responsible for providing the milk has been issued a notice by the education department.” She emphasized the incident’s unfortunate nature and stressed the necessity for heightened vigilance in food safety measures within educational institutions.
