Most of the children at the home, where 27 people in all have fallen ill in the last two weeks, are orphans.
Highlights
- The children died reportedly after drinking contaminated water
- 11 people with special needs have died since last week
- Rajasthan government has suspended 6 officials of the government facility
Days after seven children from a government-run home for people with disabilities in Rajasthan died reportedly after drinking contaminated water, there are no takers for the bodies yet, officials have said.
Eleven people with special needs, including the seven children,
have died since last week after suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. Around 16 more have fallen ill with the latest person, a 15-year-old girl, admitted to the hospital today.
A care-giver who accompanied the girl named Pinky from the home in Jamdoli outside Jaipur to the hospital told NDTV that these children rarely get visitors.
"No parents ever come. In fact nobody even asks about these children. They are totally left to our care and responsibility," said the nursing staff accompanying Pinky to hospital, requesting not to be named.
Most of them are orphans or are brought in by family members who after leaving them here, never bother to visit, she said.
Around 200 people with disabilities stay at the home in Jamdoli.
Doctors say the fact that all the children had similar symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration points to a possible water or food contamination.
State government officials have said they tried to reach out to families, in cases where they had addresses, but there was no response.
"Only one child's parents came. They said shows the child's face but we cannot take the body as we cannot afford a cremation. Like others, she too will be cremated by the government," Arun Chaturvedi, minister for social welfare, said.
The Rajasthan government, which has been issued a notice by the National Human Rights Commission, has suspended six officials including the superintendent of the government facility and caretaker.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje chaired a meeting at her residence over the incident today. "Whoever is responsible for this incident, sitting at whatever high position, will face strict action," she said later.
Ms Raje has ordered inspections of all hostels, residential schools and children's homes immediately to ensure facilities like cleanliness, drinking water supply and health services.