23 tribal children hospitalised with suspected typhoid

The children had complained of severe headache, fever and vomiting

After a 12-year-old student of a government boarding school in Sakre village Palghar died of typhoid on Thursday night, 23 tribal children aged between 10 and 12 were admitted to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Vikramgadh after they complained of severe headache, fever and vomiting. Seven were diagnosed with typhoid.

Vishnu Savra, tribal minister and guardian minister of Palghar visited the patients at Vikramgadh hospital. (Amol Sambre)

Vishnu Savra, tribal minister and guardian minister of Palghar visited the victim’s family as well as the Vikramgadh hospital. He also provided compensation to the victim’s family, under government norms. Savra had earlier faced flak from the media for not responding to the malnutrition-related deaths in Palghar.

Dr Milind Khandvi, medical officer, Vikramgadh PHC said four girls and three boys were diagnosed with typhoid, while the others were discharged.

Vivek Pandit, former MLA and president of the Shramjeevi Sanghatana blamed the hospital, citing a lack of adequately trained medical staff. “There is no proper water supply, no warden and no doctors at the hospital,” said Pandit.