30 students hospitalised, one dead in Maharashtra

A seven-year-old student of a residential school in Maharashtra’s Palghar district has died after suffering from high fever and breathing difficulties, while 30 others have been hospitalised with cold, cough and fever symptoms, prompting the authorities to form an SIT to conduct a probe.

Following the death of the student, the superintendent of the school was suspended for “gross negligence” in the discharge of duties, officials said, adding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected the school’s kitchen and collected grocery items for laboratory analysis.

The incident comes after three tribal girls died from a venomous snakebite after sleeping on the floor of a residential school hostel in Gadchiroli district earlier this month. In the Palghar case, a Class 1 student at the ashram school in Maswan developed high fever on August 22 and was taken to the local Primary Health Centre (PHC) for treatment.

When his fever returned on Monday, the PHC medical officer noted dropping oxygen levels and advised transferring him by ambulance to the Rural Hospital in Manor. After the child was taken to the hospital, medical officers conducted an ECG and declared him dead, an official said. The exact cause of death will be determined once the post-mortem report is received, he added.

Following the incident, senior health and administration officials visited the school, which houses 395 resident students out of 449 total enrollees, and a medical team conducted a full health screening on the campus.

As a precautionary measure, 30 students showing mild symptoms of cold, cough or fever were placed under medical observation at the Maswan PHC, where their condition was reported to be stable, the official said.

The Integrated Tribal Development Project officer Vishal Khatri visited the school and the health centre to meet the hospitalised students and their parents. “As per the advice of the district health officer, a fresh health check-up drive was conducted at the Maswan ashram school. Essential measures for campus sanitation and water purification are being carried out in the institution, and all necessary precautions will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents,” Khatri said.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to conduct a detailed inquiry into the tragic death of the student, fix responsibility and recommend preventive measures, officials said on Tuesday.

Appropriate administrative action will be taken against the persons concerned upon receipt of the committee’s report,” stated the official release by the district administration, Palghar, an official statement said.

The school superintendent was suspended with immediate effect for gross negligence in the discharge of duties during the visit of the Additional Commissioner of Tribal Development, it said. Additionally, show-cause notices were issued to the President and Secretary of the Adivasi Seva Mandal, Mumbai, the organisation operating the aided school, the statement added.

“The immediate priority of the administration is to ensure children get healthy soon and no such incidence is repeated. With that view, health check-up camps are being proactively held across all schools of Palghar and students showing any symptoms like fever, cold, cough, etc are being kept under observation,” it said.

“Thirty students are under observation at the Maswan PHC, comprising 14 boys and 11 girls. Four girls and one boy have been shifted to the Rural Hospital, Manor, District Palghar, for further treatment on the advice of a paediatric specialist. The students are out of danger and stable, and they are only being held under observation as a precautionary measure,” it added.

FDA officials also inspected the school kitchen. Cooking ingredients, including spices, turmeric, chilli powder, and oil containers, were collected and dispatched for laboratory testing, the statement said.

Officials also reviewed pest prevention protocols and water purification systems on-site as part of the ongoing investigation.

An average of nearly one student died every day in Maharashtra’s ashram schools over the last two years, taking the total death toll to 584 across state-run and Government-aided residential facilities during the period, officials said earlier this month.

The causes of death ranged from snakebites and sickle cell disease to serious illnesses, accidents, and suicides, they said. Facing severe criticism over the recent deaths of three tribal girls due to snakebite in Gadchiroli, the Government has initiated corrective measures, including the cancellation of the residential school’s licence and comprehensive safety audits of all such facilities across the State.