Prajitha's sad demise throughs light on need to provide proper medical care & attention to the Endosulfan Victims.

A two-and-a-half-year-old girl, suspected to be a victim of the harmful effects of Endosulfan pesticide, died on Thursday(May 5, 2011) allegedly after she failed to receive timely medical care in a government-run hospital in Kerala's Kasaragod district.

Prajitha was taken to the Kasaragod General Hospital after she complained of breathlessness.

As the child specialist was on leave, her parents were told to take her to the doctor's clinic.

The doctor allegedly asked for 100 rupees as consultation fee but instead of treating the child immediately, he asked Prajitha's parents to go back to the govt hospital saying he would soon be there.

The parents admitted his child to the government hospital at 4:45pm. Till 8 pm the doctor did not turn up, Soon she started vomiting blood. As Prajitha's condition worsened, her parents took her to a private hospital but it was too late by then.

A similar case, A. Sreedharan, 47, died of cancer, attributed to the spraying of endosulfan, in his house at Cheemeni in the district, sources said. He had the disease for over six years and had been depending on the medicines provided at the medical camps held for the endosulfan victims. His house is close to the Cheemeni estate of Plantation Corporation of Kerala Ltd.

These incidence highlight the need for setting up facilities to handle emergency situations and to deploy expert doctors in the endosulfan affected areas as early as possible. The state govt should wake up & bring justice.

The state govt should also take care in providing adequate compensation packages to the families grieved with the death of their loved ones due to this deadly pesticides. As if now the govnt has only provided asum Rs 50,000 to grieved families.

The govt should also resolve to quick planning for  rehabilitation of those affected with different kinds of ailments due to endosulfan.

COURTESY:

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/endosulfan-victim-dies-due-to-alleged-medical-negligence-103762
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1995772.ece