12 Children Administered With Sanitiser Instead of Polio Drops in Maharashtra Village

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Tuesday, 2nd February 2021

In Maharashtra, 12 children under the age of 5 have been, in a gross case of negligence, administered with sanitizer drops in place of polio vaccine. The incident took place about 700 km from the state Capital Mumbai in a village in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra.

The children haven admitted to a hospital as per information from Yavatmal District Council Chief Executive Officer Shrikrishna Panchal after one of the children complained of vomiting and uneasiness.

As per the official statement, the children are stable now and under observation. The three officials in connection with the incident will be suspended immediately. These include the including a health worker, doctor, and ASHA worker.

Panchal said in his statement, “Twelve children, under five years of age, were given hand sanitizer drops instead of polio vaccine in Yavatmal. They were admitted to the hospital and are doing fine now. A health worker, doctor, and an ASHA worker will be suspended. An investigation is underway.”

Another official said the incident was brought to the notice of the authorities after the village sarpanch checked the drops and found that they were not polio drops but hand sanitizer drops.

The untoward incident took place a few days after President Ram Nath Kovind launched the National Polio Immunisation Drive for 2021 on January 30 when he administered polio drops to children less than five years old at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

As per the Union Ministry of Health, the country has been a polio-free nation for almost ten years now. The last case of wild poliovirus was recorded on January 13, 2011. However, India is taking every precaution to ensure the prevention of re-entry of the poliovirus into the country from other neighboring countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan. The wild poliovirus continues to be a disease-causing prevalence in these countries.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source

NDTV