1 more rushed to hospital from care home for mentally ill kids

Jaipur: One more patient from Jamdoli's government-run care home for mentally ill was brought to J K Lon hospital on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the government put P R Pandit, director, directorate of specially-abled persons, on awaiting posting orders (APO) while six other government employees were suspended. Raising demand for justice for those mentally ill inmates of care home lost their lives, social activists gathered at Ambedkar Circle and demanded resignation of social justice department minister Arun Chaturvedi.
Apart from social activists, the Congress has demanded judicial probe into deaths that took place between April 18 and 28.The opposition party has also sought resignation of minister for social justice and empowerment Arun Chaturvedi, as the rehabilitation home at Jamdoli near Jaipur comes under his department. Chaturvedi is accused of initially blaming the deaths on the immunity of the mentally challenged persons. The minister, however, denies making the statement. Leader of opposition Rameshwar Dudi said, "The government should order a judicial probe under a retired high court judge. Government spends Rs 1,950 per person on the diet of the inmates at the rehabilitation home. Still the children were given contaminated food and water that caused their deaths."
Former MLA and Congress spokesperson Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, "The minister who is himself guilty in the grave incident is monitoring the investigations. How can such a probe be impartial? Chaturvedi should resign and the probe should be conducted under an ex-judge of high court." Late on Saturday evening, Chaturvedi visited the Sawai Man Singh hospital to express solidarity with four patients from Jamdoli's care home undergoing treatment. He visited the J K Lon hospital too and met the children undergoing treatment. There are nine patients from Jamdoli who are still undergoing treatment in two hospitals— SMS hospital and J K Lon hospital. He instructed the doctors to take proper care of the patients. One more girl admitted to J K Lon hospital was the 28th patient brought to Sawai Man Singh hospital and J K Lon hospital for treatment in the past 15 days. So far, 11 of them have died. Now, including her, nine are still undergoing treatment.
15-year-old girl, Pinki, was rushed to JK Lon hospital, when the doctors posted at the residential care home for mentally ill people noticed her deteriorating condition. "When she was brought to the hospital, she was suffering from dehydration and also she had diarrhoea like symptoms. We have admitted her in the ICU," Dr Ashok Gupta, J K Lon hospital superintendent said. The doctors are suspecting that it could be food-borne infection, which is the cause of their illness.
Besides, there are four others in the same hospital, undergoing treatment. Excluding Pinki, three of them are undergoing treatment in the ICU.
The deaths of 11 people including nine children in care home has exposed the government's arrangement in the care home for specially-abled people, majority of them are children.
Taking lessons from the deaths in Jamdoli, the social justice department has issued directions for improving cleanliness, hygiene and also proper monitoring of such care homes.