15-yr-old student dies after asthma attack on school playground

Noida: A Class 10 student of a private school in Noida Sector-132 died after suffering an asthma attack on the school playground on Wednesday afternoon, police said

Noida: A Class 10 student of a private school in Noida Sector-132 died after suffering an asthma attack on the school playground on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

While some students alleged that there was a delay in the school’s medical response, the parents of the 15-year-old deceased described it as a “tragic accident and they do not hold the school responsible for it”. (HT Archive)

While some students alleged that there was a delay in the school’s medical response, the parents of the 15-year-old deceased described it as a “tragic accident and they do not hold the school responsible for it”.

According to the family, the teenager, who was asthmatic, had forgotten to carry his inhaler to school. He suffered an asthma attack while playing football and was rushed to a nearby private hospital by school authorities but he could not be revived.

Talking to HT, a student while requesting anonymity said, “The boy had an asthma attack on the ground and there was no equipment nearby. Only the students were helping him.”

It took some time for the boy to be taken to the school infirmary before he was shifted to a nearby private hospital, the student alleged, adding that around 30 minutes were spent over the entire process (from taking him from playground to reaching hospital).

Following the incident, the school principal addressed students to explain the situation and also urged them to inform the school in detail about their pre-existing medical conditions, said a student.

HT’s attempts to contact the school authorities on the official number did not elicit any response.

The deceased boy’s father, however, rejected allegations of any negligence, saying that the school had fully cooperated with them.

“This was a tragedy. We saw what happened. It appears that he forgot his nebuliser at home and went to play football. The school cooperated with us and showed us the CCTV footage. We do not hold the school responsible. It was absolutely a tragic accident,” the father said.

The student is survived by his parents and his sister.

Sumnesh Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Sector 126 police station, said police visited the hospital after receiving information from the hospital authorities.

“We spoke to the parents, who informed us that the child had asthma. They said it was a completely an accident and did not wish to file a complaint,” Kumar said, adding that the family performed the last rites on Thursday.

The district Inspector of Schools (DIOS) office told HT that the matter would be looked into.

The incident has also sparked discussions among parents in Noida over emergency medical preparedness and student safety within school campuses.