Yavatmal mishap: 3 health workers terminated

As many as three health workers, including a doctor, were terminated for service after 12 kids were administered sanitiser drops instead of polio drops in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. Meanwhile, show-cause notices were also issued to two other doctors.

Yavatmal (Maharashtra): Three government health workers were terminated from service after 12 children had been administered hand sanitiser drops instead of oral polio vaccine drops in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district.

According to reports, Yavatmal Zilla Parishad CEO Dr Shrikrishna Panchal dismissed three government employees - Dr Amol Gawande from the Primary Health Centre, Asha worker Sangita Masram, and Anganwadi worker Savita Pusnake.

Further, the CEO also issued show-cause notices to medical officers Dr Bhushan Masram and Dr Mahesh Manwar.

Meanwhile, a two-member committee comprising Dr Dhole and Dr PS Chavan will further probe the matter.

Yavatmal Zilla Parishad president Kalinda Pawar and health committee chairman Sridhar Mohod today visited the kids who had been administered sanitizer.

"Three employees have been dismissed and show cause notice has been issued to two medical officers. After receiving the report, action will be taken against them. Immediately after the incident, I took full information from the district health officer and passed directions to take action against those responsible," Pawar said.

Read:Children given sanitiser during polio vaccination fall ill

The incident took place at Bhanbora Primary Health Centre in Kapsikopri village on Sunday when the National Pulse Polio vaccination drive for children aged 1-5 years was underway.

Yavatmal Zilla Parishad CEO Shrikrishna Panchal on Monday said 12 children below 5 years of age were given two drops of sanitiser in place of polio drops.

Subsequently, one of the children complained of vomiting and uneasiness, he said. The affected children were later admitted to a government hospital.

The incident came to light when the village sarpanch checked the drops and found them to be hand sanitiser and not polio doses.

Another case of medical negligence

Meanwhile, another case of medical negligence was reported in Solapur district, where a kid swallowed a piece of plastic during the polio vaccination drive.

According to reports, a one-year-old had been brought to the local PHC at Bhalwani in Pandharpur Taluka for the polio vaccine. However, as the health worker was administering the polio drops from a distance, a small plastic piece went down the kid's throat.

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