Mumbai doctors critically ill after consuming food at I-day party

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, August 16, 2014:  Forty seven doctors of Mumbai’s biggest referral hospital - Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Hospital - fell ill after consuming sweets on the occasion of Independence Day celebration on Friday.

 

Sweets from slum

The doctors and other staff of the hospital, also known as Sion hospital locally, had assembled for the flag hoisting ceremony in the hospital campus on Friday following which they all consumed sweets reportedly purchased from a shop located in the slums of nearby Sion Koliwada.

According to Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Deshmukh, about 47 doctors had taken ill after consuming sweets made of mawa or condensed milk along with other snacks. The sweet delicacy was a special tricolour barfi made from condensed milk.

Though the flag hoisting event took place in the morning, the first signs of nausea, uneasiness and abdominal spasms were reported at 12.30 pm. Initially, only a few doctors had taken ill and thus, it was thought to be isolated cases. However, soon the numbers swelled to 47, making it one of the biggest incidences of food poisoning at LTMG.

Fortunately for the food poisoning victims as they were in the hospital premises, no time was lost in administering medication to them. The dean of the hospital, Dr Avinash Supe, said all the 47 doctors, including 24 women doctors, have been admitted and are now stable and have recovered.

"I have visited the hospital and all of the doctors are ok now," said additional commissioner Deshmukh. The samples of food particles have been send for analysis at the hospital’s microbiological laboratory.

FIR lodged

Deshmukh said the civic body has lodged an FIR against the shop owner from where the sweets were purchased. Following the incident, civic food inspectors also swung into action against the shop. Stale or contaminated mawa is one of the major culprits of food poisoning in Mumbai region. To meet demands during special occassions, especially festivals, large quanities of mawa is procured much in advance and are stored in unhygienic conditions, leading to contamination. Adulteration of mawa also leads to food poisoning. Most of the adulterated mawa comes from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, sources said.



Courtesy:IndiaToday