Twenty-one students were
admitted to hospitals and 200 others complained of illness after they were allegedly given folic acid and iron supplements at Delhi-government-run schools under a newly launched central scheme.
Almost all the students, who were admitted to seven different hospitals yesterday, were discharged today.
The cases of school students falling ill in the city came close on the heels of mid-day meal tragedies in two Bihar schools and the death of a child after taking Vitamin A tablets at an anganwadi centre in that state.
"21 students had been admitted to the hospitals and around 200 students reported some kind of side effects," Delhi Health Minister A K Walia said adding that a total of 15 lakh students were given the folic acid and iron supplements yesterday under a scheme of Union Health Ministry.
Walia said it is not unusual to have side effects like stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting when initial doses of iron and folic acid are given.
"World-wide these symptoms are documented to be experienced by people in the initial doses of iron and folic acid tablet," he said.
"The percentage of students reporting side effects is 0.01 per cent which is well within the acceptable levels," he said adding all systemic preparations for managing such side effects have been put in place.
The scheme to provide iron and folic acid tablets was kicked off yesterday to improve the health of students studying in schools. Under the programme all adolescent children in 6 to 12th standard at government and government aided schools will be given iron and folic acid tablets once a week.
Walia said in addition to 15 lakh students, around two lakh adolescents under anganwadi centres and one lakh teachers and anganwadi workers, were also given the folic acid and iron supplements.
