MP’s Balaghat Child Death Row: MLA Claims 19 Deaths, Health Department Reports 8

BHOPAL/BALAGHAT (Madhya Pradesh): Child deaths due to an outbreak of seasonal diseases have snowballed into a major controversy in Balaghat district.

The health department has sought a detailed ground report from block medical officers (BMOs) on child deaths following an outbreak of an unidentified seasonal illness and hospitalisation of 128 children in the remote, Tribal-dominated Baiga villages of Balaghat district.

On Friday, collector Kumar Satyam with the health department team visited villages and took stock of the health condition of children who are undergoing treatment.

According to the health department, 128 children were hospitalised in serious condition and 97 of them have been discharged after recovering following treatment and 31 remain under treatment.

Additionally, 2,100 people have been screened so far, with 530 exhibiting symptoms of various illnesses during the examination. Of these, 97 were treated in hospitals and 402 recovered after receiving treatment at home.

Villages in the Tribal-dominated area, specifically Machhurda, Adori, Gathiya, Bondari, Korka, Kohnimor and Kundeksa, have been affected. There is an outbreak of malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea and skin diseases among children in these villages.

However, the health department and local Congress MLA are in a face-off over child deaths. Congress MLA (Baihar) Sanjay Uike has claimed that 19 children died in his Vidhan Sabha constituency. He also released the list of the deceased.

Health department seeks report on 19 deaths

CMHO Dr Paresh Uplav informed Free Press: We have sought report of 19 kids deaths from BMO.

However, so far eight children have died in Balaghat due to seasonal disease like Malaria, dehydration, typhoid. Besides, some children developed fungal infection.

Out of eight children who died, seven were not brought to the hospital. Only one girl, three year was brought to the hospital and died as she was severely malnourished and underweight.