More than 100 fall sick after suspected food poisoning in Senapati district

Our Correspondent

Imphal, Sep. 15 (EMN): More than 100 persons including children were hospitalised in Manipur’s Senapati district after suspected food poisoning from a birthday celebration at a hilly village in the northeastern state.

Most of the patients, who are from Tungjoy and Tunggam villages, were admitted at the Public Health Centre (PHC) Paomata while some at Public Health Sub-Centre (PHSC) at Tungjoy, Medical Officer in charge Dr. Th Veidai Shuru of PHC Paomata said on Thursday.

The admission of the patients to health centres who had complaints of loose motion, fever and body ache etc., started on Sep. 13 and it continued till Sep. 14 night.

Dr. Shuru said that most of the patients who were under treatment at two health care centres have been discharged. Now only 12 of them are under keen observation.

When asked about the reasons, he said it could be because of a suspected typical food poisoning. The locals also suspected that consumption of fermented fish chutney during the birthday celebration at Tungjoy village under Paomata sub-division could be the reason for the sickness as people who didn’t consume the chutney are not among the sick.

“However it will take at least 7 to 14 days time to get the results for the samples which we collected and sent for testing,” Dr. Shuru said.”Besides, we’ve also collected blood samples to check other diseases.”

President Asahrii Clement K of Poumai Naga Tsiidoumai Me, an apex student organisation of Poumai community in Senapati district, said that the situation is almost under control after they organised necessary medicines stock from the Senapati district headquarters and assisted the limited medical officials at the said PHC and PHSC with their volunteers.

“We thank the dedicated doctors and medical staff at the health centres for their yeomen service in helping the needy people,” the student leader said.

“We also thank our federating units and Khumai youth and student organisation, Tungjoy youth and student organisation for the good Samaritan act in assisting the patients.”

Food safety department officials also rushed to the village to ascertain the causes of the mass sickness.