Police in Daltonganj have launched an investigation into the death of a four-year-old boy who allegedly became critically ill after being administered an antibiotic injection at a private drug store in Manatu block, raising questions over injection safety, medical-store licensing and emergency healthcare access in the area.
The child, identified as Aayansh Kumar of Jaspur village, had been suffering from fever for two days, according to the statement given by his father, Mithilesh Kumar, at the MMCH police outpost late Saturday night. Police said the boy was taken to a drug store at Purana Bazar owned by a person identified as Deepak, where a staff member, Sandip, administered the injection.
According to the father’s account cited by police, Aayansh’s condition worsened immediately after the injection and he began foaming at the mouth. People at the location attempted to revive him through cardiopulmonary resuscitation. An oxygen cylinder was reportedly brought from another health facility, but it could not be used because it allegedly did not contain medical oxygen.
Deepak then took the child and his parents towards Medinirai Medical College and Hospital, or MMCH, which is about 45 kilometres away. The child died while being taken to the hospital, police said. Deepak allegedly left the vehicle midway, according to the account cited in the report.
The prescription and the vial of the injection administered to the child were reportedly missing, the father alleged. The missing materials could complicate efforts to establish which antibiotic was used and whether it was administered in the correct manner. The police inquiry is expected to examine the sequence of treatment, the identity and qualifications of the people involved, and the availability of emergency support at the drug store.
Civil surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Srivastava said the child had been given an antibiotic intravenous injection and that a skin prick test or pre-injection screening ought to have been conducted before the shot. He said the body had been sent for post-mortem examination. The post-mortem findings will form part of the investigation into the cause of death, while the reported sequence of events remains subject to official inquiry.
Officer in charge of Manatu police station Vicky Barnwal said authorities would verify Deepak’s professional credentials and the licence status of the medical store. The drug inspector will also examine the case, police said. Investigators are trying to identify the antibiotic used and recover the injection vial and syringe.
The case also places attention on the distance between rural communities and emergency medical facilities. The reported journey from the drug store to MMCH, the alleged inability to use the oxygen cylinder and the loss of the injection vial are now part of the official investigation. Police and drug-control authorities are expected to proceed with the credentials, licence, medicine and post-mortem checks before determining further action.
