Andhra Pradesh: 43 students recover after falling ill following chloroquine tablets in Gollaguppa
A student died and 53 others fell ill after reportedly developing adverse reactions following administration of chloroquine tablets at a health camp in Gollaguppa, Andhra Pradesh. Twenty students were seriously ill and undergoing treatment at Bhadrachalam Area Hospital.
Kothagudem: The condition of 43 of the 52 minor students who were hospitalised following an alleged adverse reaction to chloroquine tablets at Gollaguppa of Yetapaka mandal in Andhra Pradesh improved and they were discharged on Wednesday.
The students were rushed to Government Area Hospital at Bhadrachalam in the district late on Tuesday night as they developed complications after consuming the tablets. According to officials, a student, Paddam Roja, died after suffering from malaria last Friday in the village.
Following this, the local doctors organised a health camp at Gollaguppa in Rampachodavaram Assembly constituency. Chloroquine tablets were administered to 73 students of a government school and an Anganwadi Centre, of whom 53 fell ill.
One of them, Madavi Jamuna (7), a second standard student, suffered from vomiting and was rushed to Lakshmipuram Primary Health Centre (PHC), where she was declared brought dead. Her body was shifted to Bhadrachalam for autopsy.
Speaking to the media, Kothagudem district medical and health officer (DM&HO) Dr. Tukaram Rathod informed that Jamuna died of a cardiac problem that she had since birth and health staff could not identify it.
Rampachodavaram MLA Miriyala Shirisha said that the students were given the tablets after lunch in view of the spread of malaria in the village. The children were from tribal families that had migrated to Polavaram from Odisha.
Quoting the doctors, she said Jamuna’s death was not due to the medicine. Two of the four children in her family had died due to different health issues in the past, and Jamuna was the third child to die due to a suspected cardiac problem.
Three medical teams from Vijayawada and Rajahmundry reached Gollaguppa to collect water and food samples to investigate the cause of the incident. If there were any lapses on the part of medical staff, action would be taken against those responsible.
Polavaram DM&HO, district Collector and Chintoor ITDA Project Officer also visited the Bhadrachalam hospital. All students were stable. Nine students tested positive for malaria and were being treated at the Area Hospital, the MLA said.
The Area Hospital Superintendent Dr. Rajashekhar Reddy, referring to Jamuna’s death, said that for further diagnosis and to determine the exact cause of her death, samples were being sent to the forensic lab.
