DCW demands police action against north Delhi health department over diphtheria deaths

In a statement on Tuesday, the commission said the report submitted by the corporation showed that the hospital “delayed” procurement of vaccines and lacked adequate infrastructure for handling diphtheria cases.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Tuesday asked Delhi Police to register a case of criminal negligence against north body health department and its Maharishi Valmiki Hospital for what it called serious lapses that led to the deaths of 21 children due to diphtheria in September last year.

DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal, on January 22, 2019, said the commission has approached Delhi Police to register a case for criminal negligence and mismanagement in the diphtheria death cases. (Sonu Mehta/HT File Photo)

The recommendation by the women’s body was made on the basis of a report submitted by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation on December 27, 2018. DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal, said, “In view of the findings, we have approached Delhi Police to register a case for criminal negligence and mismanagement in the cases. They are required to submit an action taken report in the matter latest by January 31.”

The DCW had issued a notice to the municipal body, taking cognisance of the deaths of 21 children at the Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital (MVIDH) between September 6 and September 19 last year.

In a statement on Tuesday, the commission said the report submitted by the corporation showed that the hospital “delayed” procurement of vaccines and lacked adequate infrastructure for handling diphtheria cases.

The DCW statement also pointed out that the corporation’s health department delayed the procurement of the anti-diphtheria serum by over three months. “If the corporation had started the process in time, it could have prevented the deaths,” the statement read.

A DCW enquiry into the deaths revealed that the hospital had run out of the anti-diphtheria vaccine in December 2017 and the facility did not have a single dose of the medicine till September 22, 2018.

A team from the hospital had visited the Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli, to procure the vaccines in February last year, but the institute had run out of stock of the serum. DCW said the institute informed the civic body team that fresh vaccines could be manufactured if the hospital gets approval from the union ministry of health and family welfare.

“The hospital delayed seeking the approval by almost a month and was later informed that the CRI would deliver the first batch of vaccines on September 30,” the women’s panel added.

Besides, enquiry by the commission revealed that the diphtheria ward did not have ICU or high dependency units.

A senior north body official said person found prima facie responsible for the lapses had been suspended. “An enquiry into the matter is already underway. Further, instructions have been issued to the department to maintain a tender calendar and inventory for procurement of medicines and other essential medical supplies, which must be monitored directly by the additional commissioner,” a senior corporation official said.