Medical teams fanned out across Indore on Tuesday, going door to door to check on children who fell ill after lunch at Shishukunj School last Saturday. The health department has begun active monitoring of the affected students, with doctors visiting around 30 homes and assessing the children's condition firsthand.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis and dehydration were found in several children during these visits. Doctors spoke to parents, gathered information on the children's current state, and confirmed that no child's condition had turned critical. Officials said the exercise will continue Wednesday, with teams visiting remaining affected households.

More than 150 students had complained of stomach pain, vomiting, restlessness, and weakness after eating their school meal on Saturday. Most of those affected were from classes up to the fourth standard.

The school kitchen was sealed by a joint team from the district administration and the food safety department on Monday, following an inspection that lasted over four hours. During that visit, officials found expired spices and snack packets inside the kitchen — including ten packets of masalas and two packets of namkeen with dates that had already lapsed. A case has been registered against the school.

Twenty-three food samples were collected — including paneer, milk, ice cream, dal, prepared food, spices, and water — and sent to a laboratory. The actual cause of the illness will only be confirmed once the lab report arrives.

Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr. Madhav Hasani said 85 students had been sent home as a precaution when they felt unwell during or after school hours. The school also received around 35 emails from parents raising concerns about their children's health. No child is currently admitted to any hospital, and all are reported to be in a stable condition, officials said.

On Monday, worried parents had gathered at the school premises to protest. By Tuesday, attendance was noticeably lower than usual — and most students who did come arrived carrying tiffin boxes from home. The school management had emailed parents after the kitchen was sealed, requesting them to send home-cooked food with their children until further notice.

The case has put pressure on school authorities and triggered a broader conversation about food safety standards in private school kitchens. Expired ingredients found in an institutional kitchen serving hundreds of young children is a serious lapse, and parents are demanding accountability beyond just the sealing of the kitchen. The investigation is ongoing.