At least 10 babies of the government-run Sishu Gruha, a safety home for infants here in Nalgonda, died within a span of three months, allegedly “due to poor nutrition and low birth weight”. And there is none to mourn the deaths, as all infants are abandoned, or declared rejected by their parents.
Official figures noted by the Integrated Child Development Services and the district officials say at least ten babies below the age of 6 years died of health complications, while being treated at the Niloufer Mother and Child Hospital in Hyderabad. They, however, denied the deaths were due to official negligence and/or timely perception of baby’s immunity.
According to the district paediatrician at the Mother and Child hospital, Dr. D. Yadaiah, the immunity of babies at the centre was far less compared to those taken care by mothers. “Since the babies here are fed formula milk, risks arising out of weak immunity was always high,” he said.
Another paediatrician, attending the Sishu Gruha, Dr. Prabhakar added that the babies also suffered from lactose intolerance (inability to break down lactose-milk sugar, causing pain, bloating, diarrhoea and other symptoms ) one of the suspected reasons for poor nutrition leading to deaths.
The centre takes care of children in two categories, 0-6 months and 6 months and above receiving a monthly grant of ₹ 2,000 for each baby.
It has a present strength of more than 40 children, from two divisions — Nalgonda and Devarakonda.
Alerted by videos circulated by electronic media, District Collector Gaurav Uppal who visited the centre on Wednesday evening met with officials and chalked out an ‘immediate plan to be implemented on an urgent basis’.
Terming the incidence of deaths at Sishu Gruha as “unfortunate” he said there was no dearth of funds to attend to children’s health.
“Quality, and lactose-free milk will be supplied. And two committees, a technical and a monitoring one will be set up headed by district officials to assess and arrest risks,” he said.
A doctor himself, Mr. Uppal checked the health of the 19 babies and shifted three of them for immediate medical care.
A probe was initiated to ascertain the cause of deaths, and official negligence if found will be dealt strictly, he said.
