CHENNAI: Thirteen people including seven children fell sick after drinking lemon juice mixed with silica gel in Tiruvallur district. Their health condition is stable and are recovering well, health minister Ma Subramanian told reporters here on Sunday.
People fell ill after someone who made lemon juice for distribution added frozen silica gel from an ice pack, mistaking it for ice, as they could not find ice cubes in the refrigerator at Arani village.
They were rushed to the Ponneri Government Hospital for treatment. Doctors who treated them for food poisoning said that though silica gel (stored inside ice packs) is non-toxic, consuming it could result in severe nausea and vomiting. They are stable and all 13 were discharged from the hospital on Sunday, said Subramanian, after meeting the patients.
Answering questions on shortage of freezer boxes at Ponneri hospital, minister Subramanian said there are four boxes and Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (state agency responsible for buying drugs and medical equipment for government hospitals) is setting up a new blood bank here, which will be opened in 15 days.
In the press meet which followed, minister Subramanian acknowledged various shortcomings pointed out by reporters. This included the lack of efforts taken to advertise the existence of a CT scan centre at Ponneri hospital, and the delay in the opening of a primary health centre at Mettupalayam near Minjur, forcing pregnant women to travel extra for routine health check-ups.
The minister also assured to look into complaints pertaining to implementation of Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) at Ponneri hospital and settling pending compensation claims to families of nurses who died during the pandemic.
People fell ill after someone who made lemon juice for distribution added frozen silica gel from an ice pack, mistaking it for ice, as they could not find ice cubes in the refrigerator at Arani village.
They were rushed to the Ponneri Government Hospital for treatment. Doctors who treated them for food poisoning said that though silica gel (stored inside ice packs) is non-toxic, consuming it could result in severe nausea and vomiting. They are stable and all 13 were discharged from the hospital on Sunday, said Subramanian, after meeting the patients.
Answering questions on shortage of freezer boxes at Ponneri hospital, minister Subramanian said there are four boxes and Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (state agency responsible for buying drugs and medical equipment for government hospitals) is setting up a new blood bank here, which will be opened in 15 days.
In the press meet which followed, minister Subramanian acknowledged various shortcomings pointed out by reporters. This included the lack of efforts taken to advertise the existence of a CT scan centre at Ponneri hospital, and the delay in the opening of a primary health centre at Mettupalayam near Minjur, forcing pregnant women to travel extra for routine health check-ups.
The minister also assured to look into complaints pertaining to implementation of Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) at Ponneri hospital and settling pending compensation claims to families of nurses who died during the pandemic.
