Couple loses child to ‘polio drops’

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 21

A one-and-a-half-year-old boy of Fauji Mohalla died today and parents alleged that the polio drops that were administered to him were the reason behind his death.

Victim’s father Varinder Kumar said some volunteers came to administer polio drops to his son around 12 o’ clock. “Our son Ritiya was sleeping and the volunteers administered the drops to him while he was asleep,” he said.

Child’s mother, Sangeeta, said after some time, froth started coming out of his mouth. “We rushed him to Krishna Charitable Hospital and doctors declared him dead,” she said.

The family belongs to Agra and Sangeeta was currently visiting her family these days in Ludhiana.

Sangeeta said her son was hale and hearty and it was only after he was administered the polio drops, that his condition worsened.

“We never knew that it will take our child’s life,” she said.

SHO, Model Town, Surinder Chopra reached the spot and the body of the boy was taken for post-mortem. The real cause behind the death would be ascertained only after the post-mortem report comes, the SHO said.

District immunisation officer Dr Jasbir Singh said the same polio drops were administered to other children in the ward as well, but nobody developed any problem. “There is a possibility that the child must be suffering from some other problem. Polio drops can never be the reason behind death,” he said.

A five-day polio drive was underway from the past five days, which concluded here today.