VIZIANAGARAM:
Though the condition of Kottavalasa Ashram Tribal Welfare Hostel students, who fell ill after taking medicine for malaria and got treated at the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Salur, is stable, the manner in which treatment was given to the girls drew widespread criticism, prompting the Child Rights Commission to serve showcause notice on the hospital authorities.
Soon after the girls developed reaction to the medicine, they were shifted to the health centre on Monday night. The authorities there made the girls, who were already suffering from illness, to sit on the ground for hours together and were put on saline drip. The girls despite suffering from fever had to sit for hours on the ground.
The inhumane treatment of the medical officials drew the attention of various civic organisations and the Child Rights Commission. Though the officials claimed that owing to heavy inflow of patients on that day, they had to administer saline by making them sit on the ground, the Child Rights Commission has served showcause notice on the hospital authorities.
Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights member K Appa Rao said taking the matter very seriously, they had served a showcause notice on the medical officials of the Salur hospital. Appa Rao had also spoken to tribal welfare officials and district medical officials over the way the fever victims, who are minor girls, were treated. Meanwhile, to ensure such incidents do not recur, a meeting is scheduled this week involving medical, tribal welfare and other concerned departments, Appa Rao added.
The commission had also sent child rights officials to inquire into the matter. Reacting to the issue, District Coordinator for Hospital Services Dr Ushasri said that about 105 patients were admitted to the 30-bed community health centre at Salur by the time the girls were rushed to the hospital for treatment on Monday night. “With no alternative, the medical officials had to administer medication by making them sit on the ground in the hospital veranda. Though it is a 30-bed hospital, keeping in view the flow of patients, 14 more beds were arranged in the hospital,” she said.
The ITDA has granted 25 more folding beds to the hospital for the convenience of the patients. Although there was a proposal for upgrading the hospital into a 100-bed one, the decision is still pending with the government, she added. A probe was already ordered by Parvathipuram ITDA Project Officer Lakshmisha to find out the reasons for the reaction of the medicine.
