VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the State government’s handling of the incident in which a seven-year-old girl died and 53 others fell seriously ill after allegedly suffering adverse reactions to malaria tablets at Gollaguppu village in Etapaka mandal of Polavaram district on September 1.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan questioned the seriousness of the government in dealing with the incident, particularly after an SI-level police officer submitted the status report instead of an officer of at least DSP rank.
The Bench observed that the report lacked crucial details, including the source of the tablets, who procured them, their place and date of manufacture, and the circumstances leading to the girl’s death.
It also pointed out that no expert medical opinion had been obtained, the deceased girl’s medical records had not been examined.