Authorities in Bangladesh have launched an investigation into the reported death of a baby and illnesses among 400 other children following a nation-wide administration of Vitamin A and de-worming medicines, media reports said Tuesday.The health ministry on Monday formed a five-member committee to probe the illnesses and report its results within two days.
The ministry also urged parents not to panic, and assured them the Vitamin A capsule is not harmful for children, according to report in Prothom Alo newspaper. "The Vitamin A-plus drive, which has been running for over three decades, is an effective and successful one," Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque told reporters.
"The department of health has taken up the issue with urgency, whatever the cause might be, due to the concern among guardians." Around 20 million children aged between 1 and 5 years were given the Vitamin A-plus capsules, and 19 million aged 2 to 5 received de-worming tablets in Saturday's nation-wide drive.
The Daily Star newspaper reported that a 6-year-old child died in the central district of Munshiganj on Sunday. The child's family claimed their baby daughter fell ill soon after taking the medicines, the report said. It added that more than 400 children fell ill across the country, allegedly from after-affects of the vitamins and de-worming tablets supplied by a local pharmaceuticals company. Meanwhile, a local investigating agency in Faridpur dismissed officials at Char Bhadrasan health complex after the medicines were administered two days ahead of Saturday's national drive.