Around 120 students hospitalized in Tamil Nadu

Tirunelveli, March 18: In a panic incident, The annual day function of a primary school in Tirunelveli district on Friday took a gloomy turn after students, teachers and others, who took part in the function complained of eye irritation.

More than 125 students, teachers and parents suffered eye irritation and pain allegedly due to exposure to bright lights used during the function.

Sources said that 96 students, including 55 boys and 41 girls, were studying at the aided primary school at Eruvadi in Tirunelveli district. On Friday, the school annual day function was organized on the premises from 2 pm to 5.30 pm.

On the occasion, high powered lights were fixed. Because of the light used, while some felt eye irrigation during the function, other complained of it at a later time in the night. Thereafter, on Saturday morning, the school administration called the parents and took them to Aravind Eye Hospital in Tirunelveli for treatment.

As more than 100 students, parents and teachers were taken to the eye hospital, collector Sandeep Nanduri visited the students at the hospital and consulted with the doctors.

Later, speaking to reporters, Nanduri said that the doctors had assured that their vision was not affected, and they would recover in a day or two. Around 60 students and 40 parents and teachers were treated as outpatients.

"A team of ophthalmologists from Tirunelveli Medical College Hosptial (TvMCH) will camp at Eruvadi area for three days. Also, the education officials will conduct an inquiry and a guideline will be issued on the use of electric lights in school and college functions in the district," he said.

Aravind Eye Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. R Ramakrishnan told Express, "They felt the irritation, redness, watering and pain due to prolonged exposure to bright lights. The phenomenon is known as Photo Toxicity. We treated them as outpatients and gave them antibiotic, anti-inflammatory drops and painkiller tablets. Their vision is normal."

He added that if bright lights were used in closed rooms, it would cause these symptoms but not when used in open spaces.