Bantala: A day after Orissa Post published a report about 17 schoolgirls of Cheliapada Natsahi Upgraded Upper Primary School fainting inside a classroom mysteriously since a month, the district administration swung into action.
A medical team led by the district education officer (DEO) visited the school and launched a probe. The team included District Education Officer Sachidanand Behera, Additional Education Officer Niranjan Sahu and a district child health department doctor.
The team was shocked to see 10 girls faint in front of their eyes. The medical team inquired about the condition of the girls but could not diagnose the disease. The girls are students of Class IV, V, VI and VII.
According to teachers, Class IV student Madhusmita Sahu fainted for the first time a month back. Since then the weird incident has been recurring every day in school.
Fearing for their lives parents got the students’ checked up at different hospitals in the district. The tests confirmed the students were fine and do not have any medical problems. Assuming they were weak due to lack of food doctors prescribed vitamin tablets.
As no one is able to find reasons for the bizarre incident, locals now suspect sorcery. They have demanded a high level probe into the incident.
School headmaster Prabhat Kumar Nath said the incident has been happening since 2015. Only one student used to faint in 2015, but it increased to six in 2016 and now 17 faint every day.
“We have asked for medical assessment of the children. The reason will be ascertained when the reports arrive,” District Education Officer Behera said. PNN
