TIRUNELVELI: In a shocking case of peer challenge gone wrong, four Class 7 students from a government-aided school near Kalakkad were hospitalised on Friday evening after overdosing on iron supplement tablets. The students, all aged 12, had reportedly dared each other to consume the most number of ferrous sulphate tablets distributed at school by a visiting medical team.
One student consumed 15 tablets in a single sitting, while the others took seven, four, and three tablets respectively during recess. Later that evening, all four began experiencing severe stomach pain and were rushed to the Nanguneri government hospital. Two of them, with worsening symptoms, were referred to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH). Officials confirmed that all four are now in stable condition.
Parents alleged negligence in the tablet distribution process, claiming students were handed excess tablets without any health awareness or supervision. They insisted that the tablets should have been given to a responsible teacher instead.
Chief Education Officer M Sivakumar has launched an investigation, while District Health Officer Dr. Velmurugan stated that students should only consume one ferrous sulphate tablet every three days. Overconsumption, he said, can lead to serious health complications.
The Kalakkad police have also begun inquiries into the incident, which has raised serious concerns over medical safety protocols in schools.