On Thursday, the health department of Rajasthan rushed into action after 7 children in the Phulabai Kheda village in the Sirohi area died due to a ‘mysterious disease’. As per reports, the children failed to get proper treatment at the Sirohi hospital and died due to some unknown virus. The state health department has sent medical teams from Jodhpur and Jaipur to track the actual reason for the death.
Rajasthan Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena on April 15 said that he had spoken to the collector and that survey of the village is being done. “The situation is now under control. Teams from Jaipur and Jodhpur have also reached there”, he added.
I have spoken to Collector. 7 children have died (in Sirohi dist). These deaths have occurred due to a viral. A survey of the village has been done. The situation is now under control. Teams from Jaipur and Jodhpur have also reached there: Rajasthan Health Min Parsadi Lal Meena pic.twitter.com/AXbbumKNdK
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 15, 2022
According to the reports, the 7 children who died in the last 6 days complained of fits, vomiting, fever, and stiffness. The doctors could not diagnose the disease, resulting in the death of children. The sarpanch of the Sirohi village has confirmed 7 deaths while according to the district administration 5 children have died due to an unidentified disease.
The medical teams sent to the village believe that the children might have died due to viral encephalitis. However, the actual cause is yet to be confirmed. The medical teams and the doctors are conducting surveys in Sirohi and nearby villages to know if more children are suffering from similar symptoms. The deceased children belonging to the 10-15 age category failed to get proper treatment and died from April 9 to April 13.
As per a report in Navbharat Times, a family where two children died of the mysterious illness has stated that the children had consumed a cheap packaged iced drink sold as ‘Pepsi’ by local vendors.
The first case identified was that of a 5-year-old boy who complained of convulsions. He had a slight fever and was immediately taken to the hospital on April 9, where he succumbed later. Later, 2 children died on April 10 and four died between April 11 to April 13.
The Chief Medical Health Officer of Sirohi, Dr Rajesh Kumar confirmed to TOI that the doctors have collected samples of the children from the same house where the children had died and the samples have been sent to SMS Medical College in Jaipur and SN Medical College in Jodhpur for examination.
At present, while the survey by the medical teams is underway in Sirohi and areas around, the district administration and the health department have deployed a paediatrician in the area of 4 km to immediately treat the children if found with similar symptoms.
