As many as 36 children, between the age group of 1 to 10 years of Behula village under Tikanpur panchayat of Garadapur block fell sick in last two days after they were provided worm infection medicine by the local ASHA and ANMs.
The de-warming camp was organised at the Tikanpur School on Wednesday last at the home district of State Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.
According to official sources, Albendazole oral suspension was given to about 100 children in the camp. The same medicine was also given to the mothers of the children to feed them in their houses.
But after taking the worm medicine as many about three dozens of children of Behula village developed headache, vomiting, abdomen aching and also fever. Two of the sick children were admitted at the Patkura PHC.
On Friday, when ASHA Minati Bhuiyan , health worker Rasabihari Kundu and local ANM came to Behula Anganwadi centre for measuring weight of the children and administer the same medicine, they were gheraoed by irate locals believing that the health officials had given faulty medicine. It was known that the medicine administered to the children in the last five months has expired since June last.
According to CDMO Dr Binayak Prusty, a medical team led by Dr Kailash Chandra Sahu of Patkura PHC rushed to the spot and started health checkups of the ailing children. Their condition is out of danger, he said.
“I have directed the medical officer to conduct an inquiry and submit a detailed report on the alleged matter,” Prusty said.
ASHA Bhuiyan, meanwhile, said she got the medicine from the Patkura hospital but provided it without checking the expiry date. District Collector Pramod Kumar Das stated that he was yet to be informed on the matter.