In a shocking case of medical negligence and administrative oversight, a six-year-old girl has been left paralysed after a series of events triggered by rat bites and excessive anti-rabies vaccinations, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
The incident occurred in Khammam district when a young girl from Class X, Samudra Laxmi Bhavani Keerthi, was bitten by a rat while sleeping at her home in Kothagudem. Following the incident, her family took her to the local government hospital for treatment, where the situation took a devastating turn.
A doctor of the private hospital suspects anti-rabies vaccine overdose to be the reason. “We are yet to get detailed medical reports, but overdose may be the reason,” the doctor stated.
Following this, the victim's mother, Samudra Bindu, said, “They administered 15 injections between March and November, whenever rats bit Keerthi. The doctors gave her an overdose. Initially, she complained of pain in the hand whenever she was given the injection.”
As the rat bites of other students were minor, they got a single dose. “Teachers arranged money and took me to the hospital where I was administered the vaccine several times. The staff did not even inform my mother,” Keerthi complained. Meanwhile, the district medical officer has launched an inquiry into the matter. "We are investigating the circumstances under which the dosage was administered. Appropriate action will be taken against those found responsible," the officer stated.
The incident has also sparked outrage among residents, who are demanding better healthcare facilities and stricter monitoring in public hospitals.
Furthermore, District Collector Muzamil Khan called for an inquiry into the issue, following which the district child welfare officials visited the school, inquired about the incident, and submitted a report.
Keerthi’s mother Bindu is demanding action against those accountable and the best possible treatment till her daughter recovers.
