Dinesh Kamath's news item '9-month-old child tested positive for VDPV' that was published in Newsband

9-month-old child tested positive for VDPV

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Arsh Singh (9 months) of Navi Mumbai was tested positive for vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) in the second week of July. His family is bitter about the fact that the doctors did not reveal to them the truth about the child’s condition and kept them ignorant about it. They blamed both the hospital and state health authorities for this.

Arsh was admitted to BJ Wadia Hospital on July 12. The doctors could not diagnose the ailment on time. Although his parents were in communication with the state health authorities and the doctors of the hospital they were not even once told that their child had polio infection.

It was the vaccine-derived polio virus that Arsh was infected by. The doctors’ silence only made the matter worse.

The baby is on ventilator. He is critical but stable. The doctors are doing their best.

Various government agencies and World Health Organization have shown interest in this case.

The problem that Arsh’s family is facing is that of raising money for his treatment. They have already spent Rs 1.5 lakhs on the treatment. They managed to raise this sum with the help of their relatives and friends. The government seems to be silent about providing financial aid for the treatment of the child.

However, the State health minister Suresh Shetty has promised to get the government to provide Arsh and his family financial aid.

Even National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) has confirmed that Arsh has tested positive for VDPS. The health ministry’s report is awaited to confirm whether the child’s condition was caused because of polio.

There is a fear that the virus is in the area where Arsh lives and hence the health authorities are scanning that whole area to try and detect the virus.

It seems that the vaccine which was injected into Arsh to protect him from polio gave him the disease. The NPPS, which tested two stool samples, submitted its report on Wednesday.

Arsh, who was administered the oral polio vaccine at least five times, is on ventilator support and his condition continues to remain critical but stable. All four of his limbs are paralysed.

The child is developing bed sores. He can't move at all and is in tears. The child’s family fears that they might get shunned by their neighbours in order not to catch the virus.