Over 70 students attending NCC camp at college hospitalised after suspected food poisoning in Kerala

Around 75 school and college students attending a National Cadets Corps (NCC) camp at a college in Thrikkakara in Ernakulam district of Kerala had to be rushed to various hospitals owing to suspected food poisoning, leading to stormy scenes at the college following protests by their agitated parents on Monday evening (December 23).

The camp was being held at the KMM College, Thrikkakara. Reportedly, many students started feeling discomfort after the lunch on Monday. The condition of many students worsened by the evening and reportedly some of them even collapsed as well. They were rushed to various hospitals in police vehicles and ambulances. Majority of them complained of acute stomach ache while many reportedly suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea. Around 65 were admitted at the Government Medical College, Kalamassery, while the others were admitted in two other private hospitals.

Agitated parents almost pulled down the college gate to gain entry to the campus at the height of their anxiety about the well-being of their children. They accused the camp organisers of keeping them in the dark about the state of the affected children and not serving them proper food and clean water. Some of the camp participants alerted their parents following which they turned up at the college. A team led by the Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner of Police rushed to the scene to maintain order.

While the camp organisers reportedly claimed that it was a case of mere dehydration, parents and cadets said that the health scare was more serious. In fact, the cadets alleged that when they initially complained of discomfort, the organisers ignored it.

The police had a tough time calming down the agitated parents. Though there was no official information about whether the camp had been suspended or not, the police said that the camp stands dismissed as the parents kept up the protest. Even before the police declared it, the parents had started taking their children out of the camp.

The camp attended by reportedly around 600 students started on December 20. According to cadets, a few of the camp participants complained of discomfort after Sunday’s lunch itself when fish curry and buttermilk were served.