Lucknow: Four children died on Saturday after
being administered anti-measle and other vaccines during a
government immunisation drive in Mohanlalganj area on the city
outskirts, prompting authorities to suspend five medical
staff.
Union Health Ministry will send a two-member team to
Lucknow to probe the deaths, a senior official said in New
Delhi, adding that "most stringent action" will be taken
against those found guilty.
"Four children in villages of Mannawa, Rampur and
Khera died shortly after they were administered measles, BCG
and Hepatitis B vaccines by a team of government medical
staff," Director General, Family Welfare, S P Ram, who rushed
to the affected area, said here.
The immunisation drive has been suspended and a
departmental inquiry ordered into the incident.
"As it was vaccination day today, a team of government
doctors were on a visit to 40 different centres of
Mohanlalganj," Ram said, adding that deaths have been reported
from three of these centres.
Five employees including Dr K P Upadhaya, who was on
duty but did not accompany the four vehicles taking the
vaccines to Mohanlalganj for the drive, an employee
responsible for maintaining cold chain and three auxiliary
midwife and nurse have been found prima facie guilty and have
been placed under suspension, Ram said.
"The government has ordered an inquiry into the
incident and samples of the vaccines have been taken," Ram
said adding that the drive will remain suspended pending
inquiry.
The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem. A
separate inquiry would also be held by the paediatric
department of the King George Medical University, Ram added.
A magisterial probe has also been ordered, according
to district magistrate Anil Sagar.
The state government announced an ex-gratia of
Rs 50,000 each from the chief minister's discretionary fund to
the families of the four children who lost their lives in
Mohanlalganj
A spokesman said that directives have been issued
to the Director General, Family Welfare, to take steps to
ensure that such incidents are not repeated.
The spokesman also appealed to the people not to get
influenced by today's incident as the immunisation drive has
been going on for a long time and saves the children from
diseases.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, August 21, 2010, 22:20