SANGAREDDY: A three-year-old boy died within 20 minutes of being administered polio drops at Bhimra village in Kangti mandal on Sunday.
According to sources, the boy, born after three daughters to Swarnalatha and Umakanth, fell ill soon after Asha workers Roja, Samudra, and Swaroopa administered the drops. He began crying continuously and vomiting before he stopped breathing. The parents rushed him to the area hospital in Kangti, where doctors declared him dead. The body was later shifted to the government hospital in Narayankhed for postmortem.
Kangti primary health centre medical officer Dr Nagamani said, “As part of the polio vaccination drive, drops were administered to 103 children in the Digulwadi sub-centre by Asha workers. Normally, drops are not given if a child is crying or has a fever. The boy received the drops without any issue and died only after reaching home. The cause of death will be known after the postmortem.”
The doctor added that another child had developed diarrhoea but had been unwell since morning and was advised to be brought to the hospital. Under Kangti hospital limits, polio drops were administered at 50 centres. The staff involved, who have over 18 years of experience and proper training, handled the vaccination drive, the doctor said.