Class 7 girl in Odisha tribal hostel dies day after delivering stillborn

The hostel warden was dismissed and a Class 10 student of another residential school was detained after the tribal girl was found to be four months pregnant on September 23

A Class 7 girl studying in a tribal residential school in Odisha’s Kandhamal district died on Thursday, a day after she delivered a stillborn baby, officials said.

A social activist, Rabindra Kumar Mishra has filed a petition before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) regarding high number of pregnancies among tribal girls in residential schools in Odisha’s Kandhamal district. (Representative Image)

The girl, who studied in an ashram school of Kandhamal run by the SC/ST department, was found to be pregnant on September 23 following which she was kept in a childcare institution of the district. On October 5, she went into labour and an ambulance was called as there was no emergency service at the child care institution. By the time the ambulance arrived, the girl had delivered a stillborn.

Kandhamal district child protection officer Rashmita Karan said both the mother and child were rushed to the nearest community health centre, but on arrival, doctors declared the baby dead. “On Thursday night, the girl’s condition suddenly deteriorated and doctors immediately referred her to the district headquarters hospital at Phulbani. But before an ambulance could be arranged, she died,” said the DCPO.

After the girl was found to be four months pregnant, the hostel warden was dismissed over negligence of duty and a case registered with the local police station. Police later detained a Class 10 student of another residential school in this regard.

After the girl’s death, kin of the deceased and other community members alleged medical negligence and asked why she was brought back from MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur town if her condition was not stable.

In August this year, a Class10 student of Eklavya Model Residential School in Malkangiri district was found pregnant following which a college student was arrested. In December last year, a Class 6 girl in an ashram school of Kandhamal was found to be one month pregnant during a routine health check up after the schools opened.

Nearly 3.3 lakh tribal and Dalit girls study and stay in 1,670 state-run residential hostels run by the SC/ST department.

After a spate of pregnancies were reported from such schools over last few years, the state government had instructed the headmasters to do routine health check-up of the girls to detect pregnancy. The state government has appointed over 300 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives to look after the health issues of girl inmates in residential schools.