Tragedy strikes Urdu school kids: 1 dies, 200 hospitalized after consuming tablets distributed by govt

coastaldigest.com news network

August 10, 2018

Mumbai, Aug 10: A 12-year-old girl lost her life and nearly 200 children were hospitalized due to suspected side-effects of a deworming exercise and administration of iron and folic acid tablets.

All the victims are the students of Sanjay Nagar Urdu School at Govandi suburbs of Mumbai. The school is run by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Dr Pradeep Jadhav said that 161 children were taken to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and another 36 to Govandi Shatabdi Hospital after they complained of abdominal pain and vomiting early Friday morning.

One of the children, a 12-year-old girl, identified as Chandani Shaikh breathed her last. Her parents allege that she vomited blood after consuming the iron and folic acid tablet on August 6 as part of the national immunisation programme. The girl had attended school on Wednesday and Thursday, but died suddenly at her Baiganwadi residence on Thursday night.

“Her post-mortem will give clarity on what led to her death. There may be other medical comorbidities or history that we are not aware of,” Jadhav said.

By Friday afternoon, 22 children were sent home after treatment. “Most are complaining of giddiness, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. They are all stable,” said Dr Vidya Thakur, superintendent at Rajawadi hospital.

The BMC held a deworming exercise on August 6 and used medicines provided by the state government. The local BMC health post used albenazone tablet for deworming, which essentially kills tapeworm, roundworms and hookworms that may be present in a person’s digestive system. Following this, iron and folic acid tablets were given to children.

“Depending on child’s health, folic acid may be given for a period of 15-30 days. For anaemic kids, it is given for a prolonged period. Worms can cause a drop in haemoglobin,” a health official from the civic body said.

Officials said that by Friday evening all the children in the two hospitals were in stable condition. The Food and Drug Administration has collected samples of the drugs administered for laboratory testing.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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