NEW DELHI: Taking cognisance of a TOI report on a spurt in the number of deaths at Asha Kiran, a state-run facility for the intellectually impaired, lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Friday asked the Delhi chief secretary for a comprehensive inquiry into the working of all shelter homes, and fixing responsibility within a week.
Delhi revenue minister Atishi also ordered a magisterial probe, seeking a report in 48 hours, and said the guilty will not be spared.National Commission for Protection of Child Rights too has called for immediate action and submission of a fact-finding report within 48 hours.
TOI published a report, ‘Deaths at Delhi government’s shelter home for mentally ill patients spiked in July’, on the front page of its Aug 2 edition.
Fourteen inmates, including a minor, died at Asha Kiran in July. According to documents shared by the LG‘s office, 10 residents of the home in northwest Delhi’s Rohini died between July 15 and 31, while four deaths took place between July 1 and 14. In most patients, the symptoms were similar – loose motion and vomiting. Going by the data of the medical care unit of Asha Kiran, 54 inmates were sent outside the facility for treatment in July, more than usual.
In his note to the chief secretary, Ashish Kundra, principal secretary to LG, said Saxena has also called for immediate action against the administrator of the facility.
LG seeks white paper on all shelter homes
Kundra said 28 intellectually disabled inmates, including youth and adolescents, have lost their lives at Asha Kiran since Jan this year and the LG has taken a “grave view” of it as it pointed towards “criminal negligence” on the part of the officials concerned.
“He (LG) has been dismayed by the fact that all these young inmates, who were suffering from severe intellectual disability, have lost their lives, apparently on account of the poor medical facilities, inadequate nutrition and poor water supply,” Kundra said. “Hon’ble LG has observed that this lack of sensitivity and absence of supervision points not only to dereliction of duty but is also an act of criminality against the most helpless and disadvantaged who were entrusted to the care of the govt.”
The note said that LG has also asked for compensation to be paid to the parents or guardians of the deceased inmates. He has also asked the chief secretary to prepare a white paper within three weeks on the running of all homes by the social welfare, women and child department and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, including their expenditure, basic amenities, number of inmates and medical facilities available there.
While the social welfare department runs Asha Kiran, Asha Deep and Asha Jyoti homes for the intellectually impaired, apart from old age homes, the women and child development department runs temporary homes for women and girls. DUSIB is responsible for running shelter homes for the homeless. The national child rights body, NCPCR, has also demanded a detailed report on the death of a minor at Asha Kiran. The commission has asked for details of the dead child, copies of medical, postmortem and FSL reports, a copy of the FIR, present case status and steps taken by Delhi government to ensure safety of all the children at the home, along with their current medical reports.
“It is imperative to ensure that such incidents do not recur and the safety of all children in such homes is guaranteed,” NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said in the communication.