Mon Nov 25 14:13:37 UTC 2024: ## Teen Dies After Food Poisoning at Tribal Welfare School in Telangana

**Hyderabad, November 25, 2024** – A 16-year-old student, C. Shailaja, passed away on Monday at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad due to complications from food poisoning. Shailaja was a student at the Tribal Welfare Residential School in Wankidi mandal, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district.

Shailaja and two classmates were admitted to NIMS on November 5th after suffering severe gastroenteritis. While her classmates recovered and were discharged last week, Shailaja’s condition deteriorated, leading to internal brain bleeding and her subsequent death. Doctors at NIMS stated that she had been in critical condition and required mechanical ventilation.

The incident has sparked political controversy, with the opposition Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) blaming the ruling Congress government for negligence. Siddipet MLA and former health minister T. Harish Rao demanded a ₹50 lakh ex gratia payment to Shailaja’s family and criticized the government’s handling of school safety and infrastructure. BRS MLC K. Kavitha echoed these sentiments, contrasting the current situation with the alleged greater oversight during the BRS’s previous tenure.

The Congress government, however, responded with assurances of a thorough investigation and claims that they had provided free and comprehensive treatment to the affected students. Following the initial hospitalization, Congress ministers visited the families and promised a full inquiry into the matter. The Health Minister also directed NIMS to provide necessary care. The investigation into the cause of the food poisoning remains ongoing.

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