A Class VIII student died in Rajkot in Gujarat because of a severe cardiac arrest and the parents of the deceased have blamed the school management for her death. The parents are saying that the sweaters prescribed by the school amid the cold wave are not enough for the students to protect themselves from the cold.
The principal of the Shree Amritlal Virchand Jasani Vidyamandir school wrote a letter addressed to the Rajkot District Primary Education officer (DPEO). In the letter, it was stated, "On Tuesday morning, English medium class VIII student Riya Soni complained of uneasiness at 7.23 a.m. Her parents were called, who took her to hospital, where the doctor declared her brought dead." The principal Smitaben said that after the deceased fell, her classmates and teachers rubbed her arms and legs in an effort to help her recover.
The parents of Riya Soni have alleged that she was completely healthy and was not suffering from any diseases. They also said that, if the school timing had been changed as per the instruction by the DPEO from 7.30 am to 8.30 am, she would not have died. They also added that the sweaters prescribed by the management were not enough to protect the children from the cold wave.
DPEO BS Kaila told IANS that it is too early to say if Riya's cause of death was because of the cold wave and the doctor's primary diagnosis is that she died because of a severe cardiac arrest. Her blood samples have been sent to the FSL. The FSL will also carry out a viscera test and only after that the real reason behind death can be confirmed, he added.
According to school safety regulations, school administrations are required to make calls regarding times based on the situation, whether it be a cold wave, severe rains or a heat wave, the officer added. He further stated that more staff members and education inspectors would visit schools to check on the student's winter clothes, stated the IANS report.
