BERHAMPUR: A 10-year-old student of a residential school run by the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development department in Rayagada district reportedly died of malaria shortly after being admitted to the hospital on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Chandu Ulaka, a Class IV student of the upper primary school at Suri under Kolnara block.
According to school authorities, Chandu was suffering from fever for the past three to four days. After the school informed the auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) posted in Suri village, his blood sample was tested, which reportedly confirmed malaria. Following the diagnosis, the ANM administered anti-malarial medication.
According to Headmaster Buddhadev Tadingi, two students including Chandu had tested positive for malaria during the screening. However, on being informed by the school authorities, Chandu’s father Ramesh Ulaka arrived at the hostel on the day and took his son to their native Lalibi village. However, the boy’s condition deteriorated later, prompting the family to rush him to Kolnara Community Health Centre (CHC) in an ambulance. However, doctors declared him dead shortly after his arrival.
Officials said a medical team had visited the school a day earlier and screened students for malaria. As per norms, inmates of residential schools are not allowed to be taken home which was breached in this case. Similarly, there are standing instructions from the administration that sick students should be shifted immediately to hospitals for proper treatment.
The incident was followed by a more unsavoury episode as Chandu’s family members alleged that despite waiting for nearly two hours at Kolnara CHC, they were not provided with a Mahaprayan hearse vehicle or an ambulance to transport the body.
With no alternative arrangement made by the authorities, the grieving family was forced to carry the child’s body home on a motorcycle. The situation reportedly led to tension at the CHC.