75 BSF Personnel, 3 Civilians Hospitalised After Suspected Food Poisoning in Manipur
At least 75 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and three civilian drivers were admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Hospital in Imphal on Thursday after falling ill in what officials suspect was a case of food poisoning.
The affected personnel are members of Delta Company of the 58 Battalion. They had reached Imphal from Dimapur on Wednesday and were staying at a temporary shelter in the Taothong/Lamsang area of Imphal West district.
According to hospital sources, the group began complaining of vomiting and nausea after breakfast. They were taken to RIMS around 1 pm and were immediately treated in the emergency department. Medical officials said none of the cases was serious at the time of admission and that all the patients remained stable. Dr M. Rameshwar, Medical Superintendent of RIMS, said the patients were responding to treatment. Some reports also said a number of them were suffering from dehydration caused by repeated vomiting.
Officials from the State Food Safety Department and a team from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme visited the temporary shelter soon after the incident. Food samples prepared at the site were collected and sent for laboratory testing. An official said the exact cause of the suspected food poisoning can be confirmed only after the test results are available.
Manipur Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas, also referred to as Govindas Konthoujam, visited RIMS Hospital to check on the condition of the personnel and review their treatment. Early reports on the total number of those admitted varied slightly, with some local accounts putting the figure higher, but major outlets, including those citing PTI, reported 75 BSF personnel and three civilians.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, and further clarity is expected once the laboratory results establish the cause of the illness. By Thursday evening, all the patients were reported to be out of danger.
