Girl dies after forced polio dose

By Indo-Asian News Service
 

Patna, June 6 (IANS) A villager in Bihar has alleged that his seven-year-old daughter died after a health worker forcibly gave her an oral polio vaccine.

News of the death of Anita Kumari of Chakwa village in Sitamarhi district has spread panic in surrounding regions where thousands of children were given the vaccine during a massive polio immunisation drive. The vaccine is meant for children below five years of age.

Anita's father Chandardeo Das has filed a case with the police claiming his daughter was forcibly administered the polio dose in his absence. He charged that a worker from a primary health centre and his nurse wife gave the polio drops to Anita Wednesday when he and his wife not at home.

Das said in his complaint that when they returned home, his wife and he found their daughter vomiting and suffering from high fever. They admitted her to the Bathnaha primary health centre, but when her condition deteriorated and became critical she was referred to Sadar hospital. Anita died Thursday.

Das accused the health worker of giving his daughter the polio drops despite knowing she was above five years of age.

Nearly 20 million children were targeted in the massive polio immunisation drive that began across Bihar Sunday and ended on Thursday. Around 30,000 volunteers and health workers were pressed into service to cover 12 million households across Bihar, which has the highest number of polio cases in India after Uttar Pradesh.