The West Bengal government on Monday ordered a probe into the administering of Hepatitis B vaccine instead of polio vaccine at a medical camp in Hooghly district's Goghat area that left 67 children ill on Sunday. Four health workers, including the camp supervisor and an Anganwadi worker, have been suspended. The condition of all the children is reported to be normal and they have been released from the hospital.

"We have constituted a four-member committee headed by Chief Medical Officer (Health), Hooghly, to probe the incident. The panel has been asked to submit a report by Tuesday," said B Satpathy, Director of Health Services, West Bengal government. Terming the incident "not pardonable", Satpathy said the "major goof-up" did not turn fatal as the Hepatitis B vaccine is injectable, "and has no adverse effect on the health of the children when administered orally". "Such goof-ups cannot be tolerated. The workers should have been more careful,'' he added.

With all the children returning home, the government has formed medical teams to visit their houses and check their condition. The parents have been asked to report any abnormality in the children.

On Sunday, parents had taken their children to the polio camp at Goghat on the occasion of pulse polio day. One of the parents later detected that the children were administered Hepatitis B vaccine instead of the polio drops and immediately informed the matter to the health workers and the villagers. But by then most of the children had already been administered the wrong vaccine.

With 67 children falling sick and admitted to hospital, panic-stricken parents of 14 other children also took their wards to the hospital. Angry villagers then locked up the health workers. They were released after Block Development Officer and Sub-Divisional Officer reached the spot and intervened.

... contd.

ALSO READ CBI sought part RTI exemption, Govt gave it full

Please read our terms of use before posting comments