Delhi school fails to treat kid after poisoning

NEW DELHI: Pushpa Singh was in for a shock when she went to pick up her two-and-a-half-year-old son from playschool on Thursday. She found Utkarsh in the infirmary, half-conscious, and the school authorities told her that he had "fallen ill". She called her husband and took the boy to a hospital, where they were told that he had been brought earlier after having consumed a toxic chemical — possibly paint thinner — at the school. Doctors had wanted him admitted immediately, but the school staff took him back and did not inform the parents either.

A case has been registered against the teacher in charge of the playschool, Natkhat, in Janakpuri, police said. When TOI visited the school on Saturday, it was locked, with a note announcing closure on Monday as well. School authorities were unavailable for comment despite several attempts.

Utkarsh's parents, Pushpa and Jeevan Singh, had admitted him to the playschool, Natkhat in A-1 block of Janakpuri, a month ago, paying Rs 10,000 as fees. "We were told that the school would take care of all needs of the child and inform us about any difficulty he faced, none of which was followed," Jeevan, who works at a five-star hotel, told TOI on Saturday.

When Pushpa, a school teacher herself, reached the playschool around 2.30pm on Thursday, she was told that the boy was at the infirmary. Pushpa recalled that the lone woman attendant outside the room kept assuring her that he was fine though was lying semi-conscious on a bed. "When I picked him up he smelled of paint and kerosene. I asked the attendant what had happened and she said that he had fallen and injured himself. She even showed me a bruise on his head," said Pushpa.

She immediately informed her husband and rushed the child to Mata Chanan Devi Hospital. There, they were in for another shock. Doctors told the hassled parents that the child had been brought to the hospital earlier by his teachers as he was vomiting continuously, possibly after having consumed some toxic chemical kept at the school, possibly paint thinner. Worse still, doctors had told the teachers to admit him to emergency care but they took him back and preferred to wait for his parents to pick him up.

The parents admitted the boy to ICU where he is recovering. By the time they reached the school, the proprietors had left. The school has been shut since Friday.

An FIR was registered at the Janakpuri police station on Friday and a case under sections 284 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of IPC has been registered against the teacher who was in charge of the school management. Police said the bottle of chemical was kept at a place easily accessible by the child which led to the accident. "We have registered a case and will file a chargesheet in court. We have also asked the school authorities to cooperate with us in this case," said Ranvir Singh, additional CP of west district.

With inputs from Hitasha Manchanda

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