A tragic incident at a residential school in Palghar, Maharashtra, has resulted in the death of a 7-year-old student and the hospitalisation of 26 others, raising serious concerns about health and safety standards in ashram schools across the state.
Key Points
- A 7-year-old student at an ashram school in Palghar, Maharashtra, died after suffering from high fever and breathing difficulties.
- Following the death, 26 other students from the same school were hospitalised with cold, cough, and fever symptoms as a precautionary measure.
- The incident occurs amidst heightened scrutiny of Maharashtra's residential schools, with 584 student deaths reported in the last two years from various causes.
- Senior health and administration officials have visited the school, initiating health check-ups, sanitation, and water purification measures.
- The state government is already undertaking comprehensive safety audits of residential facilities after recent snakebite deaths in Gadchiroli.
A 7-year-old student of a residential school in Maharashtra's Palghar district has died after suffering from high fever and breathing difficulties, while 26 others have been hospitalised with cold, cough and fever symptoms, officials said.
This comes after three tribal girls died from a venomous snakebite after sleeping on the floor of a residential school hostel in Gadchiroli district earlier this month.
Tragic Death And Mass Hospitalisation
In the Palghar case, a Class 1 student at the ashram school in Maswan developed high fever on August 22 and was taken to the local Primary Health Centre (PHC) for treatment.
When his fever returned on Monday, the PHC medical officer noted dropping oxygen levels and advised transferring him by ambulance to the Rural Hospital in Manor.
After the child was taken to the hospital, medical officers conducted an ECG and declared him dead, an official said.
The exact cause of death will be determined once the post-mortem report is received, he added.
Following the incident, senior health and administration officials visited the school, which houses 395 resident students out of 449 total enrollees, and a medical team conducted a full health screening on the campus.
As a precautionary measure, 26 students showing mild symptoms of cold, cough or fever were placed under medical observation at the Maswan PHC, where their condition was reported to be stable, the official said.
Measures Taken And Broader Concerns
The Integrated Tribal Development Project officer Vishal Khatri visited the school and the health centre to meet the hospitalised students and their parents.
"As per the advice of the district health officer, a fresh health check-up drive was conducted at the Maswan ashram school. Essential measures for campus sanitation and water purification are being carried out in the institution, and all necessary precautions will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents," Khatri told PTI.
An average of nearly one student died every day in Maharashtra's ashram schools over the last two years, taking the total death toll to 584 across state-run and government-aided residential facilities during the period, officials said earlier this month.
The causes of death ranged from snakebites and sickle cell disease to serious illnesses, accidents, and suicides, they said.
Facing severe criticism over the recent deaths of three tribal girls due to snakebite in Gadchiroli, the government has initiated corrective measures, including the cancellation of the residential school's licence and comprehensive safety audits of all such facilities across the state.
