One-year-old shelter home inmate dies at Civil Hospital

LUCKNOW:A one-year-old inmate of the special adoption agency (SAA) wing of the governmentrun shelter home for children on Prag Narayan Road, Lucknow, died at the Civil Hospital on Sunday, said police. The child was admitted to the hospital with complaints of diarrhoea in the morning and succumbed later in the day.

However, a staff member of the shelter home, on condition of anonymity, said that the child’s health deteriorated after he fell from the bed.

HT tried to contact the shelter home’s authorities but was told that the superintendent was on leave. The substitute in-charge could not be reached either. Radha Raman Singh, inspector, Hazratganj police station, said, “The child was ill for the past few days reportedly, but we will be able to say more only after the post-mortem report is received.”

Sangeeta Sharma, member, Child welfare Committee, said, “We have not yet received any such information but it will be viewed as a serious matter if lapses are found on part of the shelter home administration.”

In August, an 18-month-old old inmate of the same shelter home had also died at the Civil Hospital. The staff had maintained that he was suffering from diarrhoea but the autopsy report had suggested a head injury. A magisterial probe in the case is underway.

UP governor Anandiben Patel had visited the shelter home in August and pointed out several issues that needed to be addressed.

Over 30 children are lodged at the SAA, which has a capacity to house just 10.