Adenovirus scare: NCPCR team in Bengal to review situation

Kolkata, March 9

As the figure of deaths of children getting admitted to hospitals with Adenovirus-type syndromes is increasing, a team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has arrived in West Bengal to review the situation.

The central team is expected to hold meetings with the top officials of the state health department and also expected to make a visit to the hospitals from where the deaths of children with related symptoms have been reported.

The visit of the central teams is happening a day after the chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) Sudeshna Roy and the commission's advisor Ananya Chakraborty Chatterjee visited two hospitals in Kolkata reporting child deaths and reviewed the situation.

After reviewing the situation both expressed satisfaction over the treatment and the infrastructure facilities at the pediatric division of the hospitals where they made surprise visits. Both of them claimed that the rate of admission with severe symptoms has declined during the last few days. The two state-run hospitals where they made the surprise visits were Calcutta Medical College & Hospital and BC Roy Children's Hospital.

Incidentally, the maximum reports of child deaths have been reported from the Kolkata-based hospitals. According to the state health department sources this due to the increased instances of referring children with symptoms by the district hospitals.

The department has already issued an advisory for doctors, especially paediatricians, to take special care of children being admitted with flu-like symptoms, especially those aged two years or below since they are most vulnerable to being affected by adenovirus.

In wake of the alarming situation, the Health Department has cancelled all the leaves of staff for an indefinite period.

Special outdoor units have been opened at state-run hospitals with special paediatric units, so that such cases do not have to wait at the general outdoor units.

Three days ago, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that 19 deaths had been reported. Contrary to her statement, sources from hospitals said that the death figure was much higher.