78 Students Administered Anti-Rabies Vaccine After Being Served Food Contaminated By Dog At Chhattisgarh School

Balodabazar: As many as 78 students of a government school at Lachanpur village in Balodabazar had to be vaccinated against rabies after they were served mid-day meals eaten by a stray dog.

The incident occurred on July 19 when a stray dog allegedly licked vegetables stored near the kitchen of the school. A few students saw the dog licking the vegetables and informed the teachers.

The teachers then warned the cooks but the latter said the vegetables were uncooked and forced students to have the meals after cooking the contaminated stock. The students narrated the incident to their families after returning their homes. The villagers and parents then complained to the teachers and the chairman of the school development committee, Jalendra Sahu.

Concerned about the students' health, their parents took them to Lachanpur health centre where doctor-in-charge Veena Verma said that keeping in mind the safety of the children, 78 were administered anti-rabies vaccine.

The incident led to outrage in the village whose residents demanded dismissal of the school cooks and regular monitoring of mid-day meals. Local MLA Sandeep Sahu, on being informed of the matter, wrote to the Chief Minister demanding an inquiry into the incident and action against the culprits. He also questioned on whose orders the children were given anti-rabies injections.

Meanwhile, SDM Deepak Nikunj Palari has started an investigation into the matter. He has recorded the statements of children, parents, teachers and school committee members. However, the cooks are not yet part of the investigation.

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