NAROWAL: As many as 40 students at a seminary fainted after consuming ‘unwholesome’ food at Talwandi Bhindran, a town near Narowal, on Monday.

More than 130 students living in Madina Madressah took breakfast and 40 of them fainted after some time. The management of the seminary reported the incident to Rescue 1122. Rescuers provided first aid to the unconscious students and shifted them to Narowal DHQ Hospital.

Health Chief Executive Officer Dr Khalid Javed declared a state of emergency and called doctors to the emergency ward. Some of the [fainted] students have been identified as Hassan Mujtaba, Khurshid, Sami, Samiullah Waleed, Awais, Hamza Ali, Furqan Ali, Zubair, Abdullah, Abdul Rahman, Asim, Farhan Ali, Wasim Ali, Qasim Ali, Asad Ali, Ali Hussain, Faizan, Muzammil and Hamad Ali.

Qari Muhammad Saleem said the students had eaten chickpeas and flatbread in the morning. “It’s strange why the condition of the students suddenly deteriorated.”

Dr. Ghulam Mustafa of DHQ Hospital said doctors and paramedical staff washed stomachs of the students.

Health CEO Dr Khalid Javed said 12 out of the 40 students were discharged from the hospital after first aid. He said 28 students are undergoing treatment and five of them are critical.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2022