Diphtheria deaths: NHRC issues notice to Rajasthan govt

Taking a serious note of spread of diphtheria in Rajasthan's Alwar district, the National Human Rights Commission today issued a notice to state government and sought a report within four weeks.
A notice has been issued to the Principal Secretary, Health, Government of Rajasthan, an NHRC statement said here today.
The notice was issued after Commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report that parents of villages in Alwar district in Rajasthan were so scared of their children getting infected with diphtheria that some of them were planning to move their children out of the villages.
According to the media report, out of six children who died in village Gothri, four had symptoms of diphtheria. 25 children have been kept under observation for diphtheria infection at Alwar District hospital.

Allegedly, the spread of the contagious disease was due to a major lapse in the implementation of the National Immunisation Programme in the district.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim children.