Anti-dengue spray. PHOTO: FILE
ATTOCK: At least 40 students were readmitted to hospitals with breathing problems on Friday, a day after almost 150 students of a government girls high school in Jand tehsil fell unconscious due to an anti-dengue spray at the school.
Officials of the tehsil municipal administration (TMA) fumigated the school on Thursday noon, when the 1,334-student school was in session. Around 150 students were rushed to hospitals after they passed out because of the anti-dengue spray. Most of them, however, were discharged the same day.
On Friday, however, 40 girls had to be taken to the Jand Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital, most with breathing problems.
The authorities’ lack of preparedness was exposed as there was not enough staff to attend to students at the THQ Hospital. The hospital, which caters to 150 villages of the tehsil, had only one oxygen cylinder, due to which the students had to be shifted to Attock and Rawalpindi hospitals. Rescue 1122 ambulances shifted 20 patients to Attock and Rawlapindi.
Inquiry ordered
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered an inquiry into the incident under the supervision of the Rawalpindi commissioner.
Locals and parents of the affected students gathered outside the THQ Hospital and demanded action against the TMA staff for carrying out fumigation during school time. Jand SHO assured the protesters that an FIR would be registered after the inquiry committee completes its work. However, the SHO said that TMA officials have been named in the roznamcha (daily police diary) and are being investigated.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has transferred Jand tehsil municipal officer to Chakwal for not ensuring precautionary measures before fumigation. The official who was in-charge of the spray team has also been suspended.
Attock EDO (health) has also suspended two doctors at Jand THQ for being late on duty.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2015.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ