Another diphtheria case: Sirsa health officials in a tizzy

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, October 7

Two days after Deepak (7) Chautala village in Sirsa succumbed to diphtheria, another case has been found at Burj Bhangu village of the district, leaving the health authorities in a tizzy.

The latest victim of diphtheria, a 9-year-old girl from Burj Bhangu has been shifted to PGIMS, Rohtak, for treatment. Burj Bhangu is a remote village under Baragura Block of Sirsa district.

The girl was brought to the general hospital on Tuesday with a sore throat and difficulty in breathing. “The patient has been referred to PGIMS for treatment,” said Civil Surgeon Dr Suraj Bhan Kamboj.

He said ASHA workers and ANMs of the department had been asked to conduct house-to-house surveys in both Chautala and Burj Bhangu villages to check for anymore diphtheria cases in these villages.

Dr Kamboj said no official from the Health Department was at fault since the Burj Bhangu girl was immunised for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus, while the family of Chautala boy, who died two days back, had refused to get the child vaccinated.

However, these two cases have exposed the success of Mission Indradhanush launched in the state, with much fanfare in April this year. The mission aims to immunise all children against seven preventable diseases namely diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.