Surat: In a suspected food poisoning case, a five-year-old girl died and four members of her family were hospitalised after they consumed food ordered from a restaurant in Gujarat's Surat city, officials said on Tuesday.
Following the incident, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) sealed Sheetal Restaurant, from where the food was ordered, and issued a notice to it after the civic officials found lapses in cleanliness and hygiene, they said.
"The family had ordered 'sabji' (vegetable dish) from the restaurant in the evening of August 15. The next morning, all five family members developed symptoms of suspected food poisoning, including vomiting," Medical Health Officer P H Umrigar told PTI.
The family consulted a general practitioner on August 16, who advised them to seek hospitalisation. However, they initially declined to get admitted, he said.
On August 17, the five-year-old girl from the family fell unconscious. She was taken to local Sadvichar hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Her post-mortem examination is underway, the official said.
The girl's father was discharged on Tuesday morning, while her mother and two other children remain hospitalised and are in stable condition, Umrigar said.
"We have collected samples of ready-to-eat food and raw materials from Sheetal Restaurant located in Varachha area of the city. After finding lapses in cleanliness inside the kitchen, the restaurant was shut down and an improvement notice was issued," Umrigar said.
Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya took cognisance of the incident and directed officials to ensure all necessary medical and administrative measures.
"The minister obtained detailed information about the incident through a video conference with District Health Officer Dr Anil Patel and SMC's Dr Umrigar, and issued instructions to ensure necessary medical and administrative action," an official release stated.
Pansheriya also spoke to doctors at Sadvichar Hospital to obtain updates on the health of the four hospitalised family members and instructed them to maintain all necessary treatment arrangements.
The minister spoke to the deceased girl's family over the phone, expressed his condolences and offered solace to them.
Following the minister's directions, the SMC has launched a special drive across all zones of Surat to inspect restaurants and ensure compliance with cleanliness, hygiene and food-safety standards.
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