11-member panel rules out death due to polio drops

LUDHIANA: Even as parents and relatives of a one-and-a-half-year-old boy — who died, allegedly after taking polio drops in Fauji Mohalla on September 21, blamed health department workers, an 11-member committee comprising doctors has concluded that the death did not occur due to the immunizing dose. He added that the Adverse Effects Following Immunization (AEFI) Committee — formed by the health department to look into the death — is now ascertaining other possible reasons which could have led to his death.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, civil surgeon Dr Hardeep Singh Ghai said: “The death was not due to polio drops, but there could be other possible reasons like fits or some problem in the wind pipe or throat.The post- mortem report could not indicate anything clearly, and now things can be clear only on the basis of the viscera report.” He added that the viscera had been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Kharar; and Government Medical College, Patiala.
Dr Ghai added that 28 other children were given polio drops in the same locality, and they were hale and hearty since then. “Since 1995, polio drops are being given, and no such incident has been reported,” he said, adding that the committee was clear that the child’s death was not due to the administering of polio drops. It may take about one-and-a-half month to get all the medical reports.