MALKANGIRI/BHUBANESWAR: AT Least six children in the age group of one to three months have died in Tamanpalli village under Kalimela block of Malkangiri district due to multiple reasons within a span of 27 days bringing back the memory of acute encephalitis deaths in the tribal dominated district.
The deaths of children born between June 19 and September 4 this year have been reported between October 13 and November 8. While villagers alleged that the infants died of an ‘unknown disease’, health officials refuted the allegations.
Sources said one-month-old son of Amit Salbam was rushed to District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) after he complained of respiratory problem. But he died within 24 hours while undergoing treatment at the hospital.
In another incident, two-month-old son of Raju Kunj developed difficulty in respiration with irritation along with vomiting. Though he was first admitted in MV 79 Area Hospital and later shifted to DHH after his condition deteriorated, he died in transit.
Similar was the condition of three other children who were either suffering from respiratory complications or pneumonia. All six infants died while they were under treatment.
Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO) Ajay Kumar Baitharu, who visited the village on Sunday, said the infants died of fever, milk aspiration, asphyxia and broncho pneumonia.
He was accompanied by Deputy Manager, Reproductive Child Health Care Bana Bihari Mishra.
Though Baitharu ruled out the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis or Acute Encephalitis Syndrome that killed over 100 children in the district in 2016, he admitted that the children were acutely malnourished and were suffering from low birth weight.
“The deaths occurred as their parents delayed in bringing them to hospital. Had they come to the hospital on time, their lives could have been saved,” he clarified and added that a medical team has been deployed in the village for the last three days as few more children are suffering from common cold and pneumonia.
Meanwhile, the State Government has ordered a probe into the alleged deaths. Health Secretary Dr Pramod Meherda has asked the CDM&PHO to submit a report detailing the cause of deaths.
“Preliminary reports indicated that the deaths have been reported at different times and there is no clustering. They did not die of any unknown disease. The detailed report is awaited,” Dr Meherda added.