Panel of doctors to probe 12-year-old’s death in Mumbai’s Govandi

A committee of four doctors from KEM and Sion Hospitals will be set up to investigate the incident of an alleged medical reaction to pills dispensed by the civic body in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi. The panel, constituted upon the direction of the additional municipal corporator, is slated to submit its report within seven days.

On Friday and Saturday, over 563 children residing in Shivaji Nagar were rushed to civic hospitals in Govandi and Ghatkopar following a scare caused by the death of 12-year-old Chandani Mohd Shaikh on Friday morning.

Shaikh, along with 975 other students of Sanjay Nagar school in Govandi, was on Monday given iron, folic acid and deworming tablets as part of the National Iron Plus program. The program was introduced address the issue of iron deficiency in students studying in government-run schools. Shaikh’s parents have alleged that her death was caused by a reaction to the medicine.

Dr Avinash Supe, director, medical education, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said, “The committee will investigate if there is any truth to these allegations. In the meantime, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials have collected samples of the drugs given to the children.” Until both the reports are submitted, BMC has discontinued the supply of two tablers, Iron Folic Acid (batch number TAF 8069AL) and tablet Albendazol (batch number FAR6L733), he added.

According to forensic experts from JJ Hospital who conducted the autopsy said there was evidence of acute bleeding in the lungs, a condition known as broncho-pulmonary haemorrhage, but the cause of death was not confirmed. Her viscera samples are sent to Kalina Forensic Laboratory and internal organs are preserved for histopathology at JJ Hospital. Both investigations will reveal the cause of her death.

Of those rushed to the hospital, over 10 children are still under observation at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi and Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar. Doctors said they are likely to be discharged soon as there are no signs of any major ailment or infection. Some children had complained of giddiness and nausea, but were discharged owing to the lack of a specific medical complication.