Jharkhand: Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences student on ventilator after canteen tea; poison suspected

RANCHI: A first-year postgraduate student of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Jharkhand's apex health institute Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi was on a ventilator after allegedly drinking tea from the hospital’s canteen, officials said. Apparently, it is a case of poisoning, the spokesperson of the state-run institute said.

The 25-year-old woman suddenly fell ill after having tea ordered from the canteen near the orthopaedic ward of the hospital and was rushed to the intensive care unit, where she has been kept on a ventilator.

The student of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) was on duty at night on Thursday, and several doctors ordered tea from the canteen. "She poured the tea into a flask in order to drink it at a time when they would be free. After finishing her work, she took a couple of sips of tea and said it was not good and smelled bad, so the rest of the doctors did not take it,” the official said.

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After some time, she fell ill and fainted and was taken to the emergency department. “She is now on a ventilator, and the next 48 hours are crucial. The flask and several other articles have been sent for a toxicology test as this seems to be a case of poisoning,” an official said on Friday.

RIMS spokesperson Dr Rajiv Ranjan confirmed the incident. "It is not simply a case of food poisoning; we suspect it is a case of chemical poisoning. The matter will be clear only after investigation,” said Ranjan.

He said that the condition of the PG student is stable but critical, and the canteen has been sealed. A complaint has been lodged with the police in this connection. A police official said that a canteen person who served the tea has been detained for questioning.