Deworming drive: 120 students hospitalised in UP; political parties allege negligence

FARRUKHABAD/MAINPURI: Around 120 students were hospitalised in Farrukhabad and Mainpuri districts after falling ill during a deworming drive at their schools, officials said. The children reported headache and vomiting shortly after being given Albendazole tablets.


In Farrukhabad, the incident took place on Tuesday at Jawahar Lal Prema Devi School in Rathora Mohaddinpur village of Kamalganj block. Of the nearly 150 students who received the tablets, around 100 began feeling unwell, causing concern among parents and school authorities, according to news agency PTI.


Officials said 33 students were admitted to the Community Health Centre in Kamalganj, while 67 others were shifted to Lohia Hospital at the district headquarters.

District Magistrate Ashutosh Kumar Dwivedi visited Lohia Hospital to review the situation and instructed doctors to ensure proper treatment for the children.

Chief medical Officer Dr Avanindra Kumar said the deworming campaign was conducted in schools across the district.

"Students of this particular school complained of headache and vomiting. All are stable and their condition is now normal," Dr Kumar said.

The district magistrate said the tablets were distributed across the district, but reports of discomfort came only from this school. "All the admitted children are stable. There could be some other reason behind the sudden illness," he added.

In Mainpuri, nearly two dozen students fell ill at a government composite school in Nagla Keeratpur.

Chief Medical Officer Dr R C Gupta said the children were taken to hospital, and most were discharged after treatment.

The incident occurred on National Deworming Day, observed on February 10 and August 10 each year for children aged between two and 19.

Dr Gupta told reporters that two children who complained of stomach pain were admitted first. Subsequently, other students arrived with their parents for check-ups, may be due to "anxiety".

"Most of the children are fine. It does not appear to be a case of negligence. The tablets are safe and the symptoms seemed to be due to panic," the doctor said, adding that the drive was conducted under the supervision of administrative authorities as part of a district-level programme.

The incident drew sharp political reactions.

The Samajwadi Party, in a post on X, described the situation as a "medical emergency" in the state and alleged that "fake medicines" were administered.

The Aam Aadmi Party alleged systemic negligence and demanded strict action against those responsible.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also called for government intervention, alleging that "expired or substandard" medicines were used and that medical care was "delayed".

In a statement, ABVP’s Braj secretary Anand Kathariya demanded suspension and legal action against those found guilty, a high-level inquiry, and measures to prevent such incidents in the future.