At least two children died and several others fell ill, allegedly due to food poisoning at a government rehabilitation centre for children in the Para area of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, March 25. Approximately 20 special needs children residing at the centre experienced sudden illness and were taken to Lokbandhu hospital.
"Around 20 children were brought to the hospital Tuesday evening from the rehabilitation centre. All these children are mentally challenged. They were severely dehydrated when they arrived. Despite our best efforts, two children died," Dr Rajeev Kumar Dixit, Medical Superintendent of Lok Bandhu Raj Narayan Combined Hospital, told PTI Videos on Thursday.
Two critically ill children were referred to another government hospital, and the condition of the remaining 16 has improved, he added. The incident triggered an investigation by local authorities. Lucknow District Magistrate has formed a committee to determine the cause of the alleged food poisoning. Officials from the Health Department and Food Safety Department visited the hospital to interview the affected children.
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"Officials of the Health Department and Food Safety Department reached the hospital. These officials have also questioned the children admitted," a government official told news agency PTI. Food samples have been collected from the rehabilitation centre for analysis.
"A team of the Health Department and Food Safety Department reached the rehab centre and took food samples. Action will be taken based on the investigation report," an official source said. According to District Probation Officer Vikas Singh, the centre houses 147 children, primarily orphans and those with mental challenges.
"It's difficult to say if this is due to food poisoning. When the children arrived here, they were already mentally challenged and unable to care for themselves. They likely had caretakers at the facility. Upon arrival, some children were found to have anemia and dehydration. We have conducted all necessary investigations, including X-rays and blood tests," Lok Bandhu CMS Rajiv Dixit.