SWABI: Out of the 181 students of Karnal Sher Khan Cadet College Swabi, who got fainted due to food poisoning on Sunday, 65 are still under treatment. The remaining students have been discharged from hospitals, sources told Dawn here on Monday.

Officials in the college expressed shock over the news that 500 students of the college had suffered due to food poisoning, saying the affected students were 181.

As the college is situated in the Ismaila Town of the district on the border with Mardan, the affected students were immediately taken to Mardan hospitals.

The students complained of vomiting and abdominal pain after eating samosas and pakoras, and later feasting on biryani along with cold drinks at a dinner.

The students were immediately shifted to the Combined Military Hospital, Mardan, and Medical Complex, Mardan on ambulances dispatched from the Swabi hospitals, sources said.

District health officer Dr Niaz Mohammad told Dawn that 13 ambulances from different hospitals and over dozen doctors reached the college to help the students.

“They (the doctors) are still in the college to help the students. But the students are now stable and there is no danger,” he said.

When contacted, provincial health minister Shahram Khan Tarakai told Dawn that they had immediately sent the required doctors and nurses from Peshawar to help in curing the students.

He said the latest reports are that no one was in serious condition and some of the students who suffered badly were still under treatment in Mardan hospitals. The Peshawar doctors would stay there till the students’ condition improved, he said.

Swabi deputy commissioner said only a few students remained under treatment and the remaining had been discharged.

However, sources said 38 students were still in CHM Mardan, 25 in Medical Complex Mardan and two in the cadet college hospital.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2016