3-year-old dies after swallowing coin in Kerala; kin allege treatment denied in 3 hospitals over Covid-19

A three-year-old child died in Kerala on Saturday after swallowing a coin and subsequently, being allegedly denied treatment over Covid-19.

The child's parents have alleged that though the child was taken to three government hospitals, they were sent back without proper treatment citing that they were from a Covid-19 containment zone. Prithviraj, the son a Raju and Nandini from Aluva, about 20 kilometres from Kochi, died on Saturday night following discomfort from swallowing the coin.

The child's family said that the incident occurred on Saturday morning and he was rushed to the Aluva District Hospital. The doctors referred him to Ernakulam General Hospital and from there the child was referred to the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital. The doctors reportedly advised the parents to feed the child plantain, rice and water in plenty so that the coin would go out through excretion and they were sent back home.

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Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has ordered a probe into the incident and directed the health principal secretary to submit a report on it at the earliest. Stringent action would be taken if there were any lapses on the part of the doctors, the minister said in a statement.

The child's body would be subjected to postmortem examination.

Normal procedures followed, says doctor

A doctor at the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital told DH that the coin was found in the child's stomach and he had no other discomfort. It was a normal practice and advisable in such cases to take plenty of plantain and rice so that the object would go out through excretion. Many such cases of children swallowing parts of toys, button cells and bottle caps keep coming in and a similar procedure is generally followed. Hence, the cause of the death of this child needs to be examined in detail.

Authorities at the Aluva District Hospital maintained that the child was referred to the Ernakulam General Hospital owing to the unavailability of a pediatric surgeon. They also denied the allegation that proper care was denied as the child was from a Covid-19 containment zone. Meanwhile, the Ernakulam General Hospital authorities said that the coin was found to be in the intestine of the child and the gastro surgery facility was not available in the hospital. Hence, he was referred to the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital.