Over 50 OU hostel girls suffer food poisoning

Over 50 inmates of the Osmania University Ladies hostel here have been admitted to the Fever Hospital, Nallakunta here, since Monday night after they showed symptoms of food poisoning.

The girls complained of severe stomach ache and showed diarrhoea symptoms after their dinner Monday night. They were immediately rushed to the Fever Hospital. Some others who developed the symptoms late were admitted later on Tuesday morning.

The condition of the girls is stated to be stable. “Initially we kept them under observation but now the condition is stable and most of the students have also been discharged,” said A. Anand Chandra, DMO of Fever Hospital.

Meanwhile, the girls blamed the management for their condition. S. Somya, an MCA student being treated at the hospital, said that unhygienic food and contaminated water was being provided to the hostellers and the management never took their complaints seriously. “The quality of food is worse. We can’t eat and the oil used is also of poor quality. Above all the drinking water stinks. The overhead tank has not been cleaned for many months," she said.

Apart from this, 6 students are accommodated in a small room meant for two. As such, the bathrooms are poorly managed causing unhygienic conditions all around, said A. Hymavathi, another MCA student.

The university vice-chancellor, Mr Tirupati Rao, said an inquiry committee would be set up to study the problem. “Preliminary investigation has been started. We will see that the inmates stay in healthy ambience,” he said.