32 Odisha kids sick after being served ‘expired’ medicines

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Khordha, Nov 18:

In yet another shocker, 32 children fell ill after being administered expired medicines used for de-worming through government run organisations at an anganwadi kendra in a village in Begunia block of Odisha’s Khordha district on Tuesday.

32 out of 35 kids, who developed symptoms of diarrhoea and nausea after being administered the expired drug, have been admitted to the government hospital at Bolagarh.

35 kids were allegedly administered with expired de-worming medicines at the anganwadi kendra in Chhatua village under Begunia block.

“We shall make sure that such incidentare not be repeated in the future. We will take strong action against those who are at fault. We are going to screen the entire stuff in the whole of the district today itself,” the Khordha additional district medical officer (ADMO) told reporters after the matter came to light.

“Our children had no sickness prior to the administration of the medicines. It all developed after they were administered the medicines. The kids have developed vomiting tendencies and loose motion,” said an angry elderly woman with her grandchild in her arms. “We are waiting for the government vehicle to arrive to take our children to the hospital” she said.

Tension prevailed at the anganwadi Kendra and the entire locality following the incident as mothers with kids in their arms waited for a vehicle arranged by the health administration to take them to the Bolagarh hospital.