Balaghat child deaths raise questions over malnutrition, healthcare and government response | DNA

Meanwhile the civil surgeon of the area’s largest government hospital has also said there is no particular disease affecting the region.

Thirty-two children have died in villages in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district over the past three months, while more than 65 others are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals, raising serious questions about malnutrition, healthcare access and the response of the government system.

In today’s episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis.

The deaths have been reported from Bondri, Kondekasa, Matla, Andori and Korka villages in the tribal-dominated region. More than 500 children have reportedly been treated, while 15 children were admitted to hospitals in the 24 hours preceding the report.

Questions over the cause of deaths

The exact cause of several deaths remains unclear in the government records cited in the report. A document containing details of the deaths has a remarks column where the disease responsible for a child’s death should have been mentioned.

Instead, in several cases, symptoms such as fever, facial rashes and a tilted neck have been recorded.

Two deaths have been attributed to malaria, but the cause of the remaining deaths has not been clearly established in the records referred to in the report.

A survey conducted in the affected villages also did not clearly establish which disease caused the children’s deaths. Another report linked chickenpox and malaria to eight deaths based on symptoms including fever, rashes and other serious conditions. However, it did not specify which disease was responsible for each death.

The civil surgeon of the area’s largest government hospital has also said there is no particular disease affecting the region.

Families raise questions over vaccination

The report also raises questions about measles and chickenpox among affected children. Families who lost their children said they believed diseases such as measles and chickenpox were responsible for the deaths.

Children are given two doses of the MR vaccine under the government programme, with the first dose administered between nine and 11 months and the second between 16 and 23 months of age.

While a single dose does not provide complete protection, the report cites the CDC as saying that one dose of a measles-containing vaccine provides around 93 per cent protection, while two doses provide around 97 per cent protection. Measles is considered very rare among children who have received both recommended doses.

Balaghat’s Chief Medical and Health Officer, Shatrughan Dahiya, said the chances of death are negligible if even one measles vaccine has been administered. He added that a possible deficiency in the vaccination process could be investigated.

However, questions have been raised about whether some children were actually vaccinated. In one case, an Anganwadi register reportedly records that an MR vaccine was administered in April 2026, while the family alleges that the child never received the dose.

The report also notes that the Anganwadi worker concerned was appointed after the date recorded for the vaccination and could not confirm whether the child had received the first dose.

Baiga tribal communities face basic shortages

Some of the affected villages are home to members of the Baiga tribal community.

According to the 2011 Census, the Baiga population in India was around 505,000, including approximately 414,000 in Madhya Pradesh and 89,000 in Chhattisgarh. The remaining population lives in Uttar Pradesh and other states.

The Government of India has placed the Baiga community among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups because of social, economic and educational backwardness and declining population. A total of 75 tribal groups fall under this category.

Such communities are expected to receive support through government welfare measures, including pucca houses, clean drinking water, road connectivity, mobile medical units, Anganwadi services and education, along with protection of traditional forest and land rights under the Forest Rights Act.

A budget of Rs 24,104 crore was allocated for the development of the 75 particularly vulnerable tribal groups, including the Baiga community.

But the report says several basic facilities remain inadequate in the affected Balaghat villages.

Healthcare access remains a major concern

The distance to medical facilities has emerged as another challenge.

The district headquarters or other major government hospitals are around 125 kilometres from the affected area. Local primary health centres are between five and 15 kilometres away from the villages.

Poor roads also make it difficult for ambulances to reach the area. Even when families manage to carry sick people to a hospital on a cot or on their shoulders, they can face the government referral process before receiving further treatment.

The death of Priyanka Dhurve is cited as one example. Her name appears at number 14 on the government list of deceased children.

When Priyanka fell ill, a nurse reportedly advised the family to call an ambulance. The ambulance did not arrive, and she was taken to hospital by motorcycle through the rain but could not be saved.

The nearest health sub-centre to Matla village is around five kilometres away. Villagers said there was no nurse there and that Matla also had no ASHA worker. The medical centre closest to Bondri village does not have a medical officer, according to the report.

Food and drinking water add to the crisis

The report also highlights food insecurity and the lack of clean drinking water in the affected villages.

Although residents receive government rations, the quantity is reportedly insufficient to provide enough food for the entire family. Some households do not have enough grain to prepare daily meals.
Residents also lack access to clean drinking water and are reportedly forced to consume water from a drain.

The report argues that the problems cannot be traced to a single incident or a single government. It describes the situation as the result of years of neglect involving the wider system.

History of health concerns in the region

Previous investigations have also pointed to health and nutrition problems among the tribal population.

In 1995, following unusual deaths in the Balaghat area, an intensive investigation was conducted. Around 70 per cent of those whose blood samples were collected were found to be suffering from malaria.

In 2009, 1,197 Baiga tribal children in Baihar were examined, with around 66 per cent found to be underweight.

A 2013-14 investigation covering 22 villages found that around 33 per cent of people who had developed fever were suffering from malaria.

During an investigation conducted between 2015 and 2017, around 43 per cent of Baiga women in the area were found to be suffering from malaria.

Response begins after 32 deaths

The government response has intensified following the deaths.

The National Joint Outbreak Response Team has reached Balaghat, while children are being examined across 50 villages. Six Mobile Medical Units, more than 10 doctors and 10 Community Health Officers have been deployed.

According to the report, 32,433 medical tests have been conducted and 14,637 MR vaccinations administered. More than 600 water sources are also being cleaned.

The response has raised a broader question: why were these measures not activated earlier, when the first children began falling ill?

The report says the latest action will be meaningful only if it prevents similar tragedies in Balaghat and elsewhere, particularly deaths linked to malnutrition and lack of timely medical treatment.

Politics amid a public health tragedy

The tragedy has also drawn political attention.

Abhijit Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, visited affected areas and met families. The report criticised the recording and uploading of the interaction as a social media reel, while acknowledging that highlighting the issue itself was appropriate.

A Congress Seva Dal team also visited the affected area and distributed bags carrying Rahul Gandhi’s photograph to affected families.

The report argues that the tragedy should not become a political contest and instead calls for introspection and accountability.

The central question, it says, is not whether the BRICS summit menu was vegetarian or non-vegetarian, but whether families in places such as Balaghat have access to food, clean water and timely medical care.

The deaths of 32 children, the report concludes, should not merely trigger a temporary response. The real test will be whether the system changes enough to ensure that no child dies because of malnutrition or lack of treatment.

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