Considering report submitted by Health Department of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) on diphtheria deaths last year in September, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) asked Delhi Police to initiate criminal prosecutions against officials of the department as well as the authorities of Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases (MVID) Hospital on Tuesday.
The Commission has also requested the police department to submit an action taken report by January 31. Around 21 children succumbed to Diphtheria between 6th and 19th September 2018 at the hospital due to unavailability of Anti-Diphtheria Serum (ADS).
In the notice issued to Joint Commissioner, Northern Range, Delhi Police, DCW Chief Swati Maliwal wrote, "It is important that an FIR under relevant sections of the law for criminal negligence and mismanagement is immediately registered in the matter against the Health Department officials and MVID Hospital authorities and a proper investigation is undertaken in the matter." According to DCW spokesperson, the Commission had instituted an inquiry into the matter and in this regard notices were issued to NMC. In its reply dated December 27, 2018, the Health Department of NMC submitted the report saying that the reason of the death was the unavailability of ADS.
"It had been reported that children died because of unavailability of anti-diphtheria vaccine in the hospital despite the Hospital being a specialist center for the disease. It was also reported that the patients are being forced to purchase injections from outside," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson further said, "It is clear that the deaths of over 21 children in the hospital last year could have been prevented had the vaccine been procured in a timely manner. Instead, the North MCD dragged its feet in the matter and for over 9 months, there was no vaccine available in the hospital."
Saying that the deaths of the children were a direct result of the criminal negligence and seemingly corrupt conduct of the NMC authorities, the Commission has requested the Delhi Police to submit an action taken report by January 31.
Around 21 children lost their lives in September 2018. The report of the inquiry conducted by NMC stated that not a single dose of Anti-Diphtheria Serum (ADS) was available at MVID Hospital between December 2, 2017 and September 22, 2018, however, the patients died due to heart complications.