Mumbai: 12-year-old girl dies, 197 children hospitalised on suspicion of medicine poisoning in BMC school

Civic officials claim following the girl’s death, panic spread in the Baiganwadi slum and several parents rushed their children to hospital as a precautionary measure.

Written by TABASSUM BARNAGARWALA | Mumbai | Updated: August 10, 2018 4:57:06 pm

Mumbai: 12-year-old school girl dies, nearly 200 hospitalised; parents suspect food poisoning

Mumbai: Civic officials claim following the girl’s death, panic spread in the Baiganwadi slum and several parents rushed their children to hospital as a precautionary measure. (Express Photo)

At least 197 children from the slums of Mumbai’s Govandi were hospitalised after what police suspects were caused by side effects of deworming exercise and administration of iron and folic acid tablets to children.

According to Dr Pradeep Jadhav, 161 children were taken to Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar and another 36 to Govandi Shatabdi hospital for abdominal pain and vomiting that started early Friday morning.

A 12-year-old girl died on Thursday night. Chandani Shaikh’s parents allege that she vomited blood after consuming the iron and folic acid on August 6 as part of the national immunisation program by the Government of India.

The girl attended school on Wednesday and Thursday but died suddenly at her Baiganwadi residence on Thursday night. “Her post-mortem will give clarity on what led to her death. There may be other medical comorbidities or history that we are not aware of,” said Jadhav.

By afternoon, 22 children were sent home after treatment. “Most are complaining of giddiness, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. They are all stable,” said Dr Vidya Thakur, superintendent at Rajawadi hospital.

Mumbai: 161 children were taken to Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar and another 36 to Govandi Shatabdi hospital for abdominal pain and vomiting that started early Friday morning.

Civic officials claim following the girl’s death, panic spread in the Baiganwadi slum and several parents rushed their children to hospital as a precautionary measure.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation held a deworming exercise on August 6 and used medical supply provided by the state government. The local BMC health post used albenazone tablet for deworming, which essentially kills tape work, round worm and hook worms in a person’s body. Following this, iron and folic acid tablets were given to children.

“Depending on child’s health, folic acid may be given for a period of 15-30 days. For anaemic kids, it is given for a prolonged period. Worms can cause a drop in haemoglobin,” a health official said.

Until the evening, children in the two hospitals were stable.

The Food and Drug Administration collected samples of drugs for laboratory testing.

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