Maha horror: 12 kids given hand sanitizer drops instead of polio dose

Yavatmal, Feb 1 : In a shocking lapse, at least 12 kids were administered hand sanitizer drops instead of the oral polio vaccine drops at a Primary Health Centre in Ghatanji’s Kapsi-Kopari village in the district, officials said here on Monday.
The incident took place on Sunday when over 2,000 children aged 1-5 years had gathered along with their parents for the polio vaccination programme under the national immunization drive, launched in the morning.
According to officials, some of the children were given oral drops of sanitizer instead of the polio drops after which many complained of nausea, cramps and started vomiting, creating panic among the parents and health officials there.
All the children, aged between 1-5 years, were rushed to the Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College & Hospital for treatment.
“All the children are now stable and improving. They are being kept under constant observation. Depending on their condition, we shall consider discharging them on Tuesday evening,” the VNGMCH Dean Dr Milind Kamble told IANS.
On the possible repercussions of oral intake of hand-sanitizing liquids, the Dean said that though it is not fatal, it contains around 70 percent alcohol which may create health complications, especially among children, as in the present instance.