19 infants discharged from Niloufer, all safe

HYDERABAD: A day after two of the three infants, who fell critically ill on consuming Tramadol tablets at the Nampally Urban Health Centre, were taken off ventilator, the third child was also taken off life support on Saturday. Niloufer Hospital authorities also discharged 19 of the 32 infants who were admitted there soon after the incident.

“Currently, all the children are stable and are being closely monitored. No new cases have come to us. We have discharged 19 patients and are hoping to discharge the rest of the infants by Sunday or Monday,” said Dr Murali Krishna, superintendent, Niloufer Hospital.

The 32 infants had taken ill on being given opioid tablets after receiving the pentavalent vaccine as part of a routine immunisation drive on Wednesday at the health centre. Tramadol is an opioid painkiller, which directly affects the brain and is not given to infants below one year of age. The tablet resulted in immediate reactions among the infants, ranging from dullness to unconsciousness and respiratory distress.

Meanwhile, a central team visited the Nampally centre. Dr Deepak Pollapaka from the Union health and family welfare department, senior consultants Dr Vikas Madan and Dr Krishna Kumar arrived in Hyderabad to assess the situation and paid a visit to Niloufer Hospital. The team examined the storage of vaccine at the Nampally health centre and visited the infants undergoing treatment at Niloufer Hospital.

Worried that such incidents would lead to opposition to vaccination, the team is reviewing the supply and storage of drugs at primary health centres. “The pentavalent vaccine is supplied by the Centre and any such controversy is bound to hit the immunisation drive. So, such incidents are taken very seriously and a central team carries out inspections and submits a report to the Centre,” said sources.