A child died in a suspected case of malnutrition in Haripad, Keralam’s Alappuzha district, prompting the state child rights commission to initiate proceedings. Police said the child was severely anaemic and weighed 7.6 kg, below the expected weight for his age. The commission has sought explanations from four district and local officials.
The Keralam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has initiated proceedings over the death of a two-year-old boy in a suspected case of malnutrition in Alappuzha district. The incident has also prompted authorities to take the surviving children in the family into care. The boy was found dead at his home in Haripad on Sunday morning. Following the incident, the Child Welfare Committee took the other children in the family into its care.
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Child rights panel seeks explanations
Commission member TC Jalaja Mol initiated proceedings on Monday after media reports highlighted the child’s death. The commission has sought explanations from four officials, i.e. the District Medical Officer, the secretary of Karthikappally gram panchayat, the District Child Protection Officer and the panchayat’s Integrated Child Development Services supervisor.
The officials have been asked to respond to the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to police, the boy was reportedly severely anaemic and appeared malnourished. His weight was recorded at 7.6 kg, considerably below the expected weight of around 12 kg for a child of his age, Press Trust of India reported.
Mother admitted to hospital before child’s death
The boy’s father, who works as an autorickshaw driver, lives with his wife and children in Karthikappally. The couple has five other children, including a newborn, according to a report by India Today. Another child had died earlier, officials said.
The mother was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital at Vandanam on Saturday for childbirth. The children remained at home with their father.
The father discovered the two-year-old dead on Sunday morning.
Government seeks report on incident
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the family belonged to his constituency and that he had been informed about the incident.
Speaking to reporters, he said he had sent officials, including the concerned tahsildar, to examine the matter and submit a report.
Chennithala added that the government was prepared to provide assistance if required.
The child rights commission’s proceedings come as officials examine the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death. The surviving children have been placed under the Child Welfare Committee’s care following the incident.