Parents Of Two-Year-Old Who Died Of Malnutrition In Keralam To Face Legal Action: Minister
The government was committed to protecting children and would take steps to prevent such incidents: Keralam Women and Child Welfare Minister Bindu Krishna
ALAPPUZHA: Keralam Women and Child Welfare Minister Bindu Krishna on Tuesday said a case would be registered against the parents of a two-year-old child who died allegedly due to malnutrition in Haripad in this coastal district. The child was found dead at his house, with doctors reporting that he was "acutely anemic" and appeared malnourished, police said. The boy weighed 7.6 kg, against the normal weight of around 12 kg for a child of his age, according to a police officer.
Visiting the child's house, the minister told reporters that the government was committed to protecting children and would take steps to prevent such incidents.
She said authorities had earlier identified the vulnerable living conditions of the children in the family and tried to shift them to Gandhibhavan, a care home, but the parents threatened suicide, forcing officials to send them back home.
The parents later failed to cooperate when Child Welfare Committee officials and anganwadi workers visited the house to check on the children, she said.
"All existing schemes, including Mission Vatsalya, will be used to ensure child protection," the minister said.
A special meeting of Child Welfare Committee members will be held on October 27 to review and expand the list of children living in vulnerable circumstances, she said.
The child's mother would also be given counselling, she added.
"It is painful that there was no food in the child's stomach at the time of death," Krishna said, stressing that constant vigilance will be maintained to prevent such incidents from recurring.
People's representatives and officials accompanied the minister during her visit.