The deceased are Aakash Kori, 3, granddaughter of Rudram Kori; Rinka Yadav, 5, daughter of Nirmal Yadav; Sanju Chaudhary, 3, daughter of Jogindar Chaudhary; one-year-old Janaki Chamar, daughter of Pramila Chamar; and 10-month-old son of Amit Yadav, according to Molhu Prasad Gupta, former VDC chairman. Ward number 7 and 8 of the VDC are the most affected, according to locals.
“The District Health Office (DHO) did not give timely attention even when measles started spreading in the villages over a month ago. Health workers finally reached the site a month after the outbreak,” said Gupta.
Family members of the victims said lack of treatment cost them their beloved ones. “My daughter Rinka died four days ago in lack of treatment,” said Nirmal Yadav, expressing her grief. Rinka had measles marks all over her body and also suffered from high fever, he informed.
Meanwhile, the DHO claimed that parents did not take the children to the health posts on time leading to the deaths. They also said the cause of death has not been identified.
However, Ghanashaym Kohar, a local, said the health post in their area neither has medicines nor health workers. “The health post is currently being run by a peon. Assistant Health Worker Ashok Mishra of the health post was transferred only recently. It will be difficult to control the outbreak in the lack of manpower and shortage of medicines,” he added.
According to locals, over five dozen children have shown symptoms of measles. Half of them are in critical condition.
Bishnu Jaisawal, acting chief of the DHO, informed that an eight-member medical team reached the affected areas on Monday and treated 46 children.
“The situation is now under control. Most of the children in those villages are not vaccinated, so the outbreak occurred,” he said.
He further informed that blood samples of seven infected children have been sent for examination. “We will know the cause of deaths only after receiving the report,” added Jaiswal.
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