Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Siya Prajapati, a 2-year-old victim of Bhagirathpura Tragedy, could get her Ayushman Card reactivated only two days after her death.
Siya’s death was reported on February 10 at Super Specialty Hospital. She had been on ventilator support for nearly 6 hours before she passed away.
The deaths of Siya and 75-year-old Shaligram Thakur raised the local toll to 35. However, official records mention only 21 deaths due to the outbreak linked to contaminated water.
Siya’s parents expressed their grief and helplessness to the media saying they had to move from one hospital to another while they were also trying to get their Ayushman card reactivated so that treatment costs could be covered.
According to news report by NDTV, tragically, the family received a call saying their Ayushman card had been successfully activated only after 2 days of Siya’s funeral.
According to Siya’s father, a tailor and a driver, he spent around ₹40k to ₹45k at private clinics and on medical tests because the card was not active. He had complained twice to the CM helpline about the issue, but received no help.
Siya fell ill on December 27, 2025, when cases of acute diarrhea began rising in Bhagirathpura. She developed high fever, vomiting, stomach swelling and later serious complications affecting her liver.
There is disagreement over the number of deaths in the outbreak. While local residents say 35 people have died, officials, citing the Death Audit Committee, say only 16 deaths have been directly linked to diarrhea.
The Madhya Pradesh government has appointed a one-man commission headed by former High Court judge Justice Sushil Chandra Gupta to investigate the water contamination and related deaths.
When asked about the family’s allegations, Indore Collector Shivam Verma said the matter would be investigated if any delay in treatment or card activation is found.
Siya is among the youngest victims of the outbreak. Another child, five-month-old Avyan Sahu, also died. A 76-year-old man, Shaligram Thakur, passed away after being on ventilator support for over 15 days.
While his family linked his death to the outbreak, health officials said he had severe respiratory problems.
