Bhubaneswar, Jun 10: The death of an 11-year-old girl undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital in Keonjhar has sparked controversy, with family members alleging that expired medicine supplied from a local health centre led to her deteriorating condition and eventual death.

The deceased was the daughter of an ASHA worker from Talabarada village under Singpur panchayat in Banspal block of Keonjhar district. According to family members, the girl developed a fever last Thursday, following which her mother collected medicines from the Singpur ANM Centre for her treatment.

The family alleged that the medicines provided by the health centre had crossed their expiry date. They claimed the child’s condition worsened significantly after she was administered two doses of the tablets. As her health deteriorated, she was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Keonjhar, where doctors treated her for several days. However, she succumbed to her illness on Monday morning.

Family members further alleged that the medicine given to the child was intended for malaria treatment and that instead of helping her recover, it aggravated her condition.

The ANM concerned has strongly denied the allegations. She stated that the expired stock was replaced with fresh medicine immediately after the issue came to her notice. According to her, complications arose because two doses of the medicine were reportedly administered to the child at the same time.

Following the incident, Dhaneswar Sethy directed officials to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Health authorities have assured that all aspects of the case, including the allegations regarding expired medicines and treatment procedures, will be thoroughly investigated. The findings of the inquiry are expected to determine whether any negligence was involved in the tragic incident.

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