PDSO Protests Illness Among Tribal School Students; Officials Rule Out Contamination

VISAKHAPATNAM : The reported illness of several students at the Tribal Welfare Residential School for Girls at Shivannapeta in Kurupam mandal triggered protests by the Progressive Democratic Students Organisation (PDSO), while district officials said the cases were linked to seasonal viral infections and not contaminated food or water.

PDSO activists staged a demonstration near Krishna Government Degree College, alleging negligence in addressing the students’ health concerns. PDSO Visakhapatnam district secretary V. Lakshmi claimed that around 80 students had fallen ill and accused the school authorities of attempting to downplay the incident.

She alleged that several unwell students were taken to a Primary Health Centre about 10 km away instead of the community health centre at Kurupam. Lakshmi also said the school, which accommodates 559 students, lacked basic amenities, including safe drinking water and a healthy environment.

Referring to earlier health incidents in tribal residential institutions, she demanded better medical care for affected students and action against those responsible for any lapses. PDSO leaders called on the government to take long-term measures to prevent recurring health problems in residential schools.

Joint collector and ITDA project officer R. Vaishali, however, ruled out reports linking the illnesses to contaminated food or water. She said medical examinations and laboratory tests had found no evidence of waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, malaria or hepatitis.

According to Vaishali, the affected students were suffering from common respiratory viral fevers associated with seasonal weather changes. She said the health of 14,888 students under the ITDA’s jurisdiction was being monitored through regular medical screenings. She said field-level tests of food and drinking water at the schools had found no contamination.

The Deputy DMHO, paediatricians and general physicians had also been visiting residential schools to provide medical care and monitor students’ health, she added. Vaishali said a new hostel dormitory, being built at a cost of `2.47 crore to reduce overcrowding and minimise the spread of airborne infections, was nearing completion and was expected to become operational within two weeks.

She appealed to parents not to panic, assuring them that the district administration and ITDA had taken all necessary precautionary measures.