Tamil Nadu: Iron Pill Overdose Tragedy, School Girl Died
Bet with friend over iron and folic acid pills overdosed and killed herself.
On March 9th, a 13-year-old student at the Urdu Middle School in the Nilgiris passed away due to liver failure after ingesting too many iron and folic acid pills, allegedly as part of a bet with friends. The student, Jaiba Fathima, took around 45 supplements, while four other students also consumed the pills.
The group had found a package of supplements in the headmaster’s office, which were intended for the National Health Mission’s Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation program. The students competed to see who could consume the most pills, with Fathima taking the most.
Some students felt dizzy and were taken to the hospital, and Fathima was sent to Chennai for a liver transplant but ultimately passed away at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College.
The school’s headmaster and supplement distributor have been suspended by the education department. The program involves the weekly administration of iron and folic acid supplements to adolescent boys and girls in government schools, and the incident highlights the need for better monitoring of supplement distribution.
