New Delhi: The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday promised strict action against those who were responsible for the death of a schoolgirl bitten by a snake inside her classroom.
The chief minister added that the teachers who were supposed to become role models in such situations failed miserably in this case.
The snake was hiding inside a burrow of the classroom wall before it bit Shehala Sherin, a Class V student of the Sarvajana Higher Secondary School in Sulthan Bathery.
Shehala was the daughter of the lawyer-couple Abdul Aziz and Shajna from Chitoor in Puthankunnu.
The lapse of the school authorities to quickly admit her to a nearby hospital and the lack of anti-venom in the four medical facilities visited by the girl have been cited as reasons for her death by her father and classmates.
Dr Jisa Merin Joy, the doctor at the Bathery Taluk hospital which denied anti-venom to the girl was suspended following an inquiry conducted in the matter. The action was taken as per the instruction of Health Minister KK Shailaja. The Director of the Health Department has been placed in charge of the investigation. 'We need to check why the anti-venom was denied to the child by the hospital despite having it in stock,' the District Medical Officer (DMO) told Manorama News.
The anti-venom was denied to Shehala at four hospitals enroute to the Medical College Hospital. The anti-venom was denied to the child at the taluk hospital after a wait of over 45 minutes, Shehala's father alleged.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Kerala Human Rights Commission have registered a suo moto case after taking cognisance of the incident.
Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi writes to CM
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday wrote to the Kerala CM, saying the school's "crumbling infrastructure" needed urgent attention of the state government.
"One of the oldest high schools in Sulthan Bathery, Sarvajana Higher Secondary School's crumbling infrastructure requires the urgent attention of the state government. The absence of a conducive learning environment demoralises students and parents alike," Gandhi, Congress MP from Wayanad, said in the letter.
He said since Kerala has been a pioneer in establishing quality public schools, the state government and the General Education Department should conduct an infrastructure audit of public schools in the Wayanad parliamentary constituency.
"I also urge the government to formulate a time-bound action plan for infrastructure upgradation of Sarvajana HSS, and other public schools in Wayanad.
"I will also be pleased to provide the requisite support for the upgradation of this school under MPLADS," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader also requested the state government to provide compensation to the family of the victim.
"I hope that the state government takes the necessary measures to ensure that no parent has to bear the pain of such a preventable tragedy again," he said.
