Bhiwandi Food Poisoning: 79 Still Hospitalised, FDA Seals Eatery
Five days after a major food poisoning outbreak in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, 79 people remain hospitalised after consuming snacks at a popular eatery, a senior medical official said on Sunday.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since launched a crackdown on food joints and sealed a prominent eatery in the town, located in Thane district.
According to police, several customers who ate at a local establishment on June 17 experienced stomach ache and diarrhoea the following day and were rushed to hospitals.
Dr Madhavi S. Pandare, Medical Superintendent of IGM Hospital, said that 124 patients were admitted since the incident. Of these, 45 were discharged and 79 are under observation.
“The patients are stable and out of danger. Some still complain of abdominal pain and loose motions. We have sufficient staff and medicines, including ORS stocks. Off-duty staff were recalled for emergency duties,” Dr Pandare said.
Patient samples have been sent for microbiological, chemical, and culture analysis to determine the exact cause of the illness.
FDA Assistant Commissioner (Bhiwandi) Santosh Shirosia said that following the incident, inspections were carried out across various outlets.
“We have sealed at least one eatery for violations and taken action against another for faulty declarations. Samples from the affected shawarma outlet have been sent for laboratory analysis, and the establishment was sealed,” he said.
Shirosia noted an unusual pattern. “The outlet operates from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., but only those who consumed shawarma after 10 p.m. fell ill. It is too early to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. We are also examining the preparation process.” He added that food poisoning cases typically spike during May-June due to climatic conditions.
Local MLA Rais Shaikh told PTI that there was a continuous influx of patients until Saturday and termed the improper regulation of such food outlets a matter of serious concern.
“Bhiwandi is a major logistics hub, and several godowns here reportedly sell expired items, which contributes to such mishaps. The FDA must take this seriously, and we expect raids on such storage facilities soon,” Shaikh said.
