The canteen at AIIMS-Patna. Students had reportedly fallen ill after consuming food prepared here. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

AIIMS-Patna aims to provide quality healthcare but is facing a hygiene challenge in its own backyard.

Sources said 10 students of the medical college have come down with food poisoning after consuming meals served by the canteen.

“Manviya, a first-year undergraduate nursing student was rushed to a private health hub on Tuesday. She was suffering from all the symptoms of food poisoning — diarrhoea, dysentery and vomiting,” said a source, adding that the problem has surfaced over the past five to six days.

The student had to be taken to SS Hospital at Phulwarisharif between 11pm and midnight. The hospital at AIIMS-Patna is not ready to treat patients yet.

A doctor at SS Hospital confirmed to The Telegraph on Wednesday that Manviya was brought to the hospital last night. “The symptoms suggested she was suffering from food poisoning,” he said.

Sources blamed the unhygienic conditions at the institution canteen for the plight of the aspiring doctors and nurses. They claimed that despite knowing about the unhygienic habits of the cook, the authorities had done nothing.

“The chief cook does not maintain proper hygiene. He doesn’t wash his hands before cooking meals. He has no concept of cleanliness. It is really sad that such a thing has happened at a reputable institution like the AIIMS,” said the source.

She added: “The cook has fungal skin infection in his hands. The administration, however, has allowed him to cook for the students because he is an old and poor man. But in their generosity for the cook, the students are suffering. They should remove him immediately.”

The cook is not the only problem. The environment in which he cooks is also dirty.

A doctor of AIIMS-Patna, who did not want to be named, said: “There is a puddle in front of the building that houses the canteen. It has not rained for the past few days but there is still accumulated water in front of the building. This can also be a source of diseases like diarrhoea and dysentery, and other water-borne ailments.”

Sources said the administration of the health cradle had held a meeting about the cases of food poisoning on Tuesday. “They also met on Wednesday. But everything is being kept under wraps so that it does not give a bad name to the institution,” said a source.

The students of AIIMS-Patna were also not ready to reveal much about the food poisoning cases on campus.

“I got to know from a few of my friends that one of our classmates as well as some nursing students are suffering from of food poisoning. Some of our teachers also said the symptoms indicate clearly that the students are suffering from food poisoning. But I have only heard this from my teachers and friends. I don’t know how accurate the reports are,” said an MBBS student, who did not want to be named.

Asked about the cases of food poisoning on campus, Anil Kishore Yadav, deputy director (administration), AIIMS-Patna, said he was aware of only one or two cases of nursing students falling ill.

He said: “I know that a few students are unwell but I don’t know if these are food poisoning cases. I have not seen any of their medical reports.”

His ignorance, however, is startling as his colleague Rajiv Narayan, administrative officer, AIIMS-Patna, told The Telegraph: “We have learnt that five or six patients are suffering from food poisoning for the past few days. But now, they are better.”

Is the canteen at your college hygienic? Tell ttbihar@abp.in