25 PU hostellers report stomach illness in 2 weeks

Chandigarh: Around 25 to 30 students, largely from Girls Hostel 9 and also from Girls Hostel 10 at Panjab University, experienced vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach upset over the past 2 weeks, as per information shared by students and officials.Residents said the cases were reported over a span of several days, with students from different floors falling ill around the same time in GH 9. While many sought consultation at the university Health Centre, hostel wardens said the matter was also addressed at their level.
"Over around 2 weeks, multiple cases of vomiting and stomach ailments were reported to us, largely from GH 9. At present, the situation seems stabilised and no new cases are being reported," a Health Centre official said on condition of anonymity. The official added that directions were issued for cleaning of water coolers in the hostels as a precaution. "We were informed that the cleaning was carried out," the official said.A GH 9 resident said a number of students on her floor fell unwell within a short span. "A few girls in the wing had similar symptoms. We are not sure what the exact cause was, but some of us were concerned about the water cooler hygiene, so for now we are avoiding drinking directly from it," she said, requesting anonymity.Another student from GH 10 said the situation created anxiety initially. "We are being cautious about what we consume and trying to stick to safer options," she said.Assistant Professor Nishima, Warden of GH 9, said the number of cases in her hostel was limited. "We had only 5 cases in GH 9 and all the students are fine now. Our water filters are cleaned regularly and this time too, they were cleaned on February 7 as per schedule," she said.Prof Varinder Kaur, Warden of GH 10, said, "We had around 6 to 7 cases here. As per our conclusion, the issue appeared to be linked to some fresh juice consumed by a few students, which led to them falling sick briefly. All of them recovered and are doing well," she said.No hospitalisations were reported. While no fresh complaints surfaced in recent days and hostel authorities maintained that the situation returned to normal, some students said concerns over hygiene and the cleanliness of water coolers continued, and many were still being cautious about what they consumed.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !