SANGRUR, May 27 — A total of 72 individuals were hospitalized due to severe food poisoning following a wedding reception in the Moonak area of Sangrur district. The affected patients, comprising men, women, children, and elderly citizens, fell ill shortly after consuming food at the venue and were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Moonak, while several others were moved to private medical facilities.
Cabinet Minister Advocate Barinder Kumar Goyal issued immediate directives to the Civil Surgeon of Sangrur, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, and other local administrative officials to supervise the emergency medical response. The state government has launched a formal investigation to determine the exact cause of the food contamination.
Following the ministerial directives, emergency medical treatment was expedited across facilities. Special medical teams consisting of doctors from neighboring urban centers, including Kohrian, Sangrur, Bhawanigarh, and Lehragaga, were deployed to manage the influx of patients, while an additional specialist team from Patiala was dispatched to reinforce Moonak Hospital.
“Around 72 persons who ate at the wedding function were admitted to government and private hospitals,” Barinder Kumar Goyal stated during a personal visit to the Civil Hospital in Moonak to assess the ongoing medical operations. He added that all the admitted individuals are now out of danger, and noted that three emergency ambulances remain stationed at the site to handle any sudden complications.
The cabinet minister declared that the administration would maintain zero tolerance for any operational negligence or delays in medical care. The Sangrur Civil Surgeon is personally monitoring the clinical management in coordination with the Director of Health Services to ensure adequate medical supplies and staffing.
Goyal suggested that broader legislative changes are necessary to address the root causes of such mass contamination issues. He maintained that the central government should enact strict laws across the country against adulteration in milk and other food items to prevent similar public health risks, while affirming that the Punjab government will take strict legal action based on the findings of the current probe.
