AP Health Department probes girl’s death after malaria prevention medication
The Andhra Pradesh Health Department is investigating the death of a seven-year-old girl in Gollaguppa village after she was administered chloroquine as malaria prevention medication. Officials said the exact cause remains under investigation, while specialist teams monitor other recipients
New Delhi: Senior officials of the Andhra Pradesh Health Department are closely monitoring the situation in Gollaguppa village in Polavaram district following the death of a seven-year-old girl, who was among the 71 people administered malaria prevention medication there.
According to senior Health Department officials, health teams conducted fever surveillance, rapid diagnostic testing, a medical camp and school-based screening in Gollaguppa on September 1 as part of ongoing malaria prevention and surveillance measures.
Of the 74 people screened, three were found to have fever and were initiated on curative anti-malarial treatment.
Following the screening, 71 individuals were administered 300 mg of chloroquine after food as chemoprophylaxis, or preventive medication. Pregnant and lactating women were excluded from the medication, and health teams remained in the village for observation after administering the drug, the officials said.
Senior Health Department officials said the condition of a seven-year-old girl deteriorated approximately two-and-a-half hours after she was administered chloroquine.
She was taken to PHC Lakshmipuram in a semi-conscious and irritable state. After resuscitation measures, the girl was referred to the Area Hospital in Bhadrachalam, where she was declared brought dead.
Officials emphasised that the administration of chloroquine could not be established as the cause of the girl’s death and that the exact cause was being investigated through a detailed clinical, laboratory and specialist assessment. An adverse drug reaction and underlying medical conditions are among the possible causes being examined, they said.
The Health Department has deployed specialist teams to conduct comprehensive medical surveillance in the village.
Specialist doctors, including paediatricians, are conducting clinical assessments of individuals who received the medication, with particular attention to identifying any underlying or subclinical conditions requiring further investigation.
A Specialist Rapid Response Team comprising experts in paediatrics and general medicine has been deployed from Government General Hospital, Kakinada. Additional specialist teams from Government General Hospital, Rajamahendravaram, and Paderu Medical College, along with experts from the State Disease Control Programme, are assisting in the assessment.
All individuals who received chemoprophylaxis are being monitored and provided medical care wherever required. According to the latest field assessment, those undergoing treatment are stable or under medical management.
The drug batch is also under scrutiny. Senior health officials said details of the drug administered had been collected and the relevant batch was being examined.
The drug was manufactured in India by Unicure India Ltd and bears Batch No. CQT1401, with a manufacturing date of April 2026 and an expiry date of March 2028.
The batch had undergone quality testing during procurement by the Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation. A test report dated July 15, 2026, issued by an NABL-accredited laboratory, recorded the sample as meeting the “Standard Quality” requirements.
Officials clarified that the drug, its administration, the clinical circumstances and all relevant medical findings were being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
A detailed clinical investigation by an expert team is underway. The exact cause of death will be established only after the completion of the ongoing clinical and scientific investigation, the officials said.
