Contaminated water tied to Illness

MADURAI: A week-long inspection by the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department at the hostel inside the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) revealed that unhygienic living conditions, poor maintenance of water tanks and supply of contaminated food were to blame for the recent outbreak of diarrhoea among nursing students.On Thursday, when a team from the department checked the hostel canteen, they found that cool drinks and milk products in the refrigerator were contaminated.“We have seized those items,” food safety officer K Saravanan told Express. Saravanan said when they inspected the nursing hostel, they found that the food kept in the storeroom were unsuitable for consumption.“The storehouse was not maintained. Insects were found in pulses and rice.”