Over 70 young students were rushed to a Bihar hospital in a mid-day meal fiasco that triggered widespread alarm and demands for accountability. At the Ummat Middle School in Madhepura’s Karu Tola, Sahugarh, the Saturday lunch led to a cascade of health emergencies including gut wrenching pain, projectile vomiting, disorientation, distress, and acute nervousness.
Chaos reigned as afflicted pupils doubled over, prompting an emergency evacuation. Parents, informed via frantic calls, mobilized vehicles alongside ambulances to deliver the children to Madhepura’s primary care center. Thankfully, medics stabilized nearly all, with ongoing treatment for one severe case.
Early leads implicate a lizard in the food, handled by an external NGO under the midday nutrition drive. Authorities dispatched samples for detailed chemical and microbial scrutiny. DEO Sanjay Kumar’s hospital visit emphasized rigorous scrutiny ahead.
Enraged families rallied outside, slamming regulatory failures and vowing not to relent without justice. This flare-up amplifies longstanding critiques of the program’s execution: inconsistent vendor vetting, poor infrastructure, and superficial inspections.
To avert recurrences, experts advocate real-time supply chain tech, routine third-party audits, and community oversight roles. Bihar officials pledged reforms, but only tangible steps will rebuild eroded faith. In the battle against child hunger, safety must trump all.