Student in critical condition as family, officials dispute food poisoning claim

DIYALA — A first-year dentistry student remains unconscious in intensive care at Baquba General Hospital with kidney failure and multiple organ dysfunction, as her family and medical officials offer conflicting accounts of what caused her condition.

Batool Amir was admitted to the ICU after her condition deteriorated following what her family says was food poisoning from a grilled wrap sandwich at the Yarmouk College cafeteria on April 12. A family source told 964media she returned home normally that day but developed stomach pain the following day, received initial treatment at a health center, and was transferred to Baquba General Hospital after her condition worsened over three days.

However, a statement from the office of lawmaker Mohammed Qutaiba al-Bayati said medical findings did not support claims of food poisoning linked to the cafeteria, with doctors concluding the student’s condition “was not caused by eating food inside the college, but is linked to another health issue.” Bayati called on media outlets to “ensure accuracy and obtain information from official sources before publishing news.”

Faris al-Azzawi, head of Diyala health media, told 964media that “the girl’s condition is between life and death and she is now in intensive care and unconscious.” The family said her condition makes transfer to another hospital difficult.