Sravani Sarkar

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: Suspected measles has killed five tribal children below age of five years within a fortnight in Khairwar Majhgawan village of Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, putting the total immunization drive of central and state government to serious questions.

One more child is admitted to community health centre (CHC) in Majhgawan with measles while another child and three adults with symptoms of the disease are still in the village, NGO Aadiwasi Adhikar Manch (AAM) has reported following in-depth survey.

The five deaths have been reported between May 22 and June 3. Three died in the village while one each was taken to Satna and Panna respectively by parents after getting ill and succumbed there.

The district health authorities have accepted the deaths of the children but are yet to confirm the reason officially. Chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr SP Garg told NewsBits.in that the symptoms narrated by the parents of four of the children (rashes, spots, high fever) seemed like that of measles.

“But normally measles do not kill. We are suspecting that the infection might have worsened into Septicemia,” he said. “I visited the village on June 2 and did not find any active cases of measles. He added that blood sample of some suspected cases in villages and those admitted to hospitals had been taken and tests were being conducted to confirm the cases.

According to the recently released National Family Health Survey (NHFS-4) report, the percentage of fully immunized children in Satna district is merely 52.7, which means almost half children are yet to get full immunization vaccines. The state health department records however show the immunization rate to be 70% in the village.

The child (under 5 years) mortality rate is extremely high for the district at 130 per 1000 live births, meaning that 130 children out of every 1000 born die before reaching five years of age.

 The CMHO accepted that immunization in the village was carried out by Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) from another health centre as the sub-health centre (SHC) that covered Khaiwar Majhgawan did not have the facility. “But we came to know that three of the children had been vaccinated while one case could not be confirmed as his mother kept moving him between Banda (UP) and Majhgawan,” the CMHO claimed, but accepted that ANM or ASHA (rural health worker) did not report any outbreak or deaths immediately.

“We are keeping a strict eye on the situation and would get blood culture of ailing children done if required,” the CMHO added.

Anand of AAM however said that measles cases were being reported from many villages of Majhgawan block, but deaths had occurred in Khairwar Majhgawan only. He said that the immunization status of the deceased and ailing children was sketchy with parents or local anganwadi having no clear records.

This correspondent had visited the remotely situated Khairwar Majhgawan on May 18 and found the nutrition and health situation quite drastic, especially aggravated by drought. Of the 108 families in villages, 99 are of Khairwar community and live in dire conditions. The main sustenance is manual labour and many of young men have migrated outside state in search of work.

CHILDREN WHO DIED:

-Ankit, son of Natthu Khairwar, 3 years on May 22

-Sonu, son of Hiraman Khairwar, 5 years on May 26

-Vikas, son of Bablu Khairwar, 2 years on May 29

-Indra Kumar, son of Raja Bhaiya Khaiwar, 3 years on May 31

-Pawan, son of Mathura Khairwar, 18 months, on June 3