Asha Kiran Home deaths: Viscera specimens sent for analysis

Viscera specimens of five of the 11 mentally challenged inmates who died at Delhi government's Asha Kiran Home have been sent for further analysis to ascertain the cause of their death.
The postmortem reports of the five inmates prepared by Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital says the "opinion regarding cause of death will be given after receipt of analysis report of specimen preserved".
While the doctors are yet to find out the cause of the death, an expert from AIIMS suggested that congested spleen, liver and kidneys as mentioned in the autopsy report were indicative of "food poisoning".
One of the reports also revealed the presence of "white coloured froth mixed with semi-digested food material" present in the windpipe, which is a clear indication of spurious food, said head of the AIIMS forensic department, Dr Sudhir Gupta.

"Congestion is a condition generally seen as a reaction of vital visceral organs against toxic substance," he said.
Further, the deceased have been described as "thin built" and "poorly nourished", an indication that they were malnourished.

Dr Gupta insisted that the viscera samples should be sent not only for chemical analysis but also for micro-biological examination for bacteria and other microbes.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier this week directed the Chief Secretary to intervene immediately and set the situation right and file a report.
The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Kamlesh Kumar had also sought a detailed report from the Delhi government, saying action will be taken against those found guilty.

"This is for the second time in one year that such incidents have occurred. Last year, 36 deaths occurred in the same institution due to gross negligence in care and treatment of the inmates," said the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPwD), which comes under the Union Social Justice and Empowerment ministry.
In the last five years, between 2011 and 2015, 163 deaths have been reported in this institution.
Recently the DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal had also carried out an inspection of the home and pointed out several lapses like overcrowding conditions, extremely unhygienic surroundings, shortage of staff, dirty toilets and absence of proper medical care facilities.