Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) fined PP Savani International School Rs 1 lakh after 85 students fell ill following dinner at its hostel on Saturday.According to officials, around 2,200 hostel residents had eaten the evening meal. Soon afterwards, 85 students complained of abdominal pain and vomiting and were taken to PP Savani Hospital.Of the affected students, 73 with mild symptoms were treated in the outpatient department, while 12 were admitted for observation and treatment. The admitted patients included nine girls and three boys aged between 15 and 18 years. All have since been discharged, officials said.The civic body’s mobile medical team coordinated with hospital authorities, while outpatient services were also started at the hostel to attend to other students reporting discomfort.On Sep 13, SMC teams inspected the hostel canteen kitchen, examining food quality, raw materials, cleanliness and hygiene practices. A food sample was collected for laboratory analysis.Officials said a notice was issued to the institution for failing to inform the health department about the incident, and Rs 1 lakh was recovered as administrative charges. The mess operator, RS Corporation, was also penalised by the civic body.After the incident, the health department intensified inspections across the city. On Sep 14 and 15, teams inspected 200 hotels, restaurants and dhabas, issued 11 notices, destroyed 243.3kg of unsafe food and collected fines totalling Rs 3.23 lakh.
