The number of people affected by food poisoning at Patbousi in Barpeta district of Assam on Monday went up to 528 today with all of them admitted to the Barpeta Medical College Hospital, hospital sources said.
State health minister Nazrul Islam and PHE minister Sukur Ali today visited the patients at the hospital and assured them of all medical care.
Talking to reporters, Islam said four of the patients who were in serious condition, were being treated at the ICU.
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The health minister also ordered the district Deputy Commissioner to inquire into the food poisoning incident as such cases occur frequently in Barpeta area.
As per the order the district administration, samples of the prasad of chickpeas that the affected people had consumed at a community Ma Manasa Puja on Monday last, were collected and sent to the forensic laboratory.
150 people complaining of food poisoning symptoms were admitted to the hospital yesterday, with a total of 528 admitted so far, hospital authorities said.
On the patients' families complain that there were not sufficient physicians, the minister said extra doctors would be engaged to take care of the affected persons.
Many of the affected persons had to face problems as adequate beds in the hospital were not there to accommodate such a large number of patients, officials at the hospital added.
