A worrying health scare has emerged from Polai Khurd village in the Simlia area of Rajasthan's Kota district, where around 115 schoolchildren fell suddenly ill yesterday after eating pani-patase, a popular street snack also known as golgappe or pani puri. The children began complaining of vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain, triggering panic across the village. A day after the incident, both the district administration and the health department are now in full action mode, working to get to the bottom of what caused the outbreak.
Food Safety Team Reaches Vendor's Native Village, Collects Samples
Treating the matter as serious, a team from the food safety department lost no time in travelling to Sholi village. This is the village where the pani-patase vendor, whose cart the children had eaten from, actually lives. On reaching the spot, the team collected samples not just of the pani-patase itself but also of the spices and the water used to prepare it. All these samples are now being sent to a laboratory for testing, so that the exact cause behind the illness can be established.
Children's Condition Stable, Special Doctors' Team Keeping Watch
About a dozen children whose condition had worsened significantly yesterday were admitted to the Community Health Centre, or CHC, in Simlia. There is relieving news about their health today. According to doctors, every child currently undergoing treatment is now in a completely stable condition. A special team of doctors at the hospital is continuously monitoring the children's health, and they are being given the necessary medicines and IV drips as required. Importantly, no child's condition is currently being described as a cause for concern.
Medical Teams Camp in the Village as Door-to-Door Survey Continues
Given the seriousness of the case, Sub-Divisional Officer Digod Deepak Mahawar, Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr. Narendra Nagar, and Block Chief Medical Officer of Sultanpur Dr. Rajesh Samar are personally keeping a close watch on the situation. Two medical teams sent to the village by the health department, along with a 108 ambulance, remain stationed there. In addition, ANM and ASHA workers have launched a door-to-door survey across the entire Polai Khurd village. The aim of this survey is to check whether any other child or villager has also been affected by the food poisoning, so that any new patient can be identified immediately and given primary treatment on the spot.
Other Vendors Now Under Watch, Legal Action Planned Against Seller
Following this whole episode, the food safety department has also started keeping an eye on other street food vendors operating in the area. At the same time, medical teams are specifically advising villagers to stay cautious during this monsoon season, such as eating clean food, using only boiled or clean drinking water, and staying away from food items sold in the open. The administration has made it clear that once the laboratory report on the samples comes in, strict legal action will be taken against the pani-patase vendor concerned, so that such negligence is not repeated in future.
