20 govt school students hospitalised after taking deworming tablets; all stable

Agra: Around 20 students of a govt school in Mainpuri were rushed to hospital on Tuesday after consuming Albendazole tablets administered under the National Deworming Day programme. All the children are stable, officials said.The incident took place at Composite School, Nagla Kirat, where students were given the anti-worming medicine as part of the nationwide campaign. Soon after taking the tablets, some children complained of vomiting, dizziness, stomach pain and anxiety, triggering panic at the school.Teachers immediately informed the health department, following which ambulances were deployed to shift the students to the district hospital. Senior officials from the health and education departments, along with the district magistrate and City SP, reached the hospital to assess the situation.Chief medical officer (CMO) Ramesh Chandra Gupta said February 10 is observed as National Deworming Day and Albendazole tablets are administered twice a year to eliminate intestinal worms. He said the medicine is safe and meant to be chewed before swallowing.CMO Gupta said that two children were initially brought to the hospital with complaints of stomach pain. "After seeing them, other children and family members panicked and brought more students to the hospital as a precaution. Most children are absolutely fine, and those who had discomfort are now feeling better. All will be discharged shortly," he said, adding that there was no negligence.District magistrate Anjani Kumar said Albendazole was being administered to nearly 10 lakh children across the district under the campaign. "Some children felt unwell, mostly due to panic. Only one or two complained of stomach pain. Doctors had already informed that mild discomfort can occur in a few cases," he said.Kumar said all vital parameters of the children were normal and none was in danger. As a precaution, the medicines, including their expiry dates, will be checked.Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that expired medicines were administered and there was a delay in shifting students to hospital. ABVP Braj secretary Anand Kathariya said, "Such careless endangerment of innocent students' lives will not be tolerated."