180 school children fall sick after taking tablets in Bihar on National Deworming Day: Report

Patna: In a shocking incident, at least 180 school children in Bihar took ill after they were administered deworming Albendazole tablets on Wednesday, as per a media report.

Indian Express quoted an officials as saying that about 100 children fell ill at the Maghra Middle School in Biharsharif district headquarters of Nalanda, 37 in Jamui, 36 in Sitamarhi, four in East Champaran and two in Rohtas district.

“In the first place, we have reports of only three Nalanda and one Nawada children complaining of side-effects of anti-worm tablet. These symptoms are nornal in some children because of worm load and such cases have been reported from other parts of the country. Side effects such as giddiness and nausea are not at all alarming. In no case, a child had to be hospitalised,” Dr Surendra Kumar, State programme officer with Bihar State Health Society was quoted by the Daily as saying.

On National Deworming Day, deworming tablets were given across all schools and Anganwadi centres free of cost.

On the other hand, eighteen children reportedly complained of illness after taking deworming tablets today in Sonipat in Haryana on the occasion of National Deworming Day.

"Eighteen children were brought to the government hospital in Sonipat as they complained of illness after taking the tablets. Out of them, only three had pain in the abdomen. The rest were fine," Sonipat Civil Surgeon, Dr Jaswant Punia said, as per PTI.

"It is normal for a few to have such reaction when a large number of children are being administered the tablets. Sometimes, a child may have a large number of worms and this happens. But there is nothing to worry," he said.

It was only some parents who pressed the panic button, he added.

Meanwhile, lauding India's National Deworming Day initiative the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it would go a long way in improving the health of children as well as that of the country.

"The de-worming initiative, along with measures to address hygiene and sanitation, will go a long way in improving the health of children as well as that of the country," WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said in a statement.

The official congratulated India for launching last year one of the largest public health campaigns to de-worm 270 million children in the age group of one to 19 years, on a single day across the country.

(With Agency inputs)