Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday ordered a departmental probe into the alleged death of two women after consuming gruel made of mango kernel in Kandhamal district.
“The Health Department has initiated an investigation into the matter. A team from the district headquarters hospital and another local team are at the spot to assess the situation and conduct a detailed probe into the incident,” said Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling.
The Minister added that they are waiting for the postmortem report for a confirmation on the cause of the deaths. “People in Kandhamal consume mango kernel, it is common in that region and there also have been reports of health complications linked to it in the past,” he added.
Expressing concern over the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said mango kernel is part of their regular diet. “It is not a case of malnutrition. Sometime, the mango kernels get contaminated and led to such unfortunate incidents. We have been actively spreading awareness about the risks of food contamination,” she said.
While two women of Mandipanka village under Daringbadi block have died, six others are undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and their condition is stated to be critical.
While one of the woman succumbed during treatment at a Community Health Centre on Thursday night, the other died while being shifted to Berhampur. They had complained of lose motion, vomiting and nausea after consuming the gruel on Wednesday night.
A medical officer of the health facility, Dr Subrat Das, said that they suspect it to be a case of food poisoning.