A major health emergency erupted in Pali, Rajasthan, late Saturday night following a large community feast held to commemorate Gyarahwan Sharif. More than 250 attendees experienced severe food poisoning after consuming food served at the gathering in Pyara Chowk, situated within the Kotwali police station limits. The affected individuals, encompassing women, elderly citizens, and young children, developed intense abdominal pain, continuous vomiting, and diarrhea. Family members hastily rushed the sick to the primary Bangur Government Hospital alongside various private medical facilities across the city, overwhelming local emergency rooms within minutes.
Sudden Onset of Symptoms Around Midnight
The community gathering at Pyara Chowk had drawn a massive turnout, with over 1,000 participants arriving from different parts of the city. While the meal concluded normally earlier in the evening, complications began surfacing around 12:00 midnight on Saturday. Multiple individuals simultaneously reported extreme gastrointestinal discomfort, bouts of nausea, and severe dehydration. As panic spread among households, relatives mobilized local ambulances and personal motor vehicles to transport their family members for urgent medical care. In a short duration, the emergency corridors and reception areas of Bangur Hospital were completely inundated with arriving patients.
Shortage of Beds Forces Emergency Triage Under Severe Pressure
The sudden influx of hundreds of patients placed extraordinary strain on the hospital infrastructure. In response to the crisis, authorities immediately recalled off-duty medical officers and nursing professionals back to active duty. Facing an acute shortage of vacant hospital beds, treating physicians had to accommodate up to three individuals on a single bed to administer intravenous fluids and emergency injections. Health workers worked continuously through the night to stabilize fluid levels in critical cases. Following aggressive primary care, individuals displaying mild recovery were discharged late in the night and early morning, while those with acute symptoms remained under ongoing medical observation.
Administrative Monitoring and Food Safety Inspection
Upon receiving alerts regarding widespread illness, senior administrative and police officials visited the medical facility to inspect emergency arrangements. District supervisor officer Prateek Meel, Circle Officer Manglesh Chundawat, and Kotwali police station in-charge Ravindra Khinchi arrived at Bangur Hospital alongside police personnel to monitor patient care. Municipal corporation deputy mayor Mehboob T, accompanied by local councillors Mohsin Khatri, Shehzad Sheikh, Shahid Pinnu, Asif Bhati, and Salim MD, also reached the hospital wards. The visiting delegates coordinated with the medical staff to ensure uninterrupted treatment for everyone affected. Meanwhile, inspectors from the food safety department commenced collecting food samples from the event venue to conduct detailed laboratory analysis.
