In a tragic development, thirty-two children have died in villages across Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh over the past three months. More than 65 additional children are currently receiving treatment in hospitals, prompting urgent concerns about malnutrition and the accessibility of healthcare services in the region. This situation has sparked widespread criticism of the government’s response to the ongoing health crisis.
The deaths have been reported from Bondri, Kondekasa, Matla, Andori and Korka villages in the tribal-dominated region. In today’s episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis. More than 500 children have reportedly been treated, while 15 children were admitted to hospitals in the 24 hours preceding the report.
Families who lost their children said they believed diseases such as measles and chickenpox were responsible for the 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 report also raises questions about measles and chickenpox among affected children. Measles is considered very rare among children who have received both recommended doses. 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. 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. Some of the affected villages are home to members of the Baiga tribal community. The remaining population lives in Uttar Pradesh and other states. 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. The distance to medical facilities has emerged as another challenge. 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. 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. The report also highlights food insecurity and the lack of clean drinking water in the affected villages. the quantity is reportedly insufficient to provide enough food for the entire family Although residents receive government rations. 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. Previous investigations have also pointed to health and nutrition problems among the tribal population. The government response has intensified following the deaths. 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.
Because of social, economic and educational backwardness and declining population, the Government of India has placed the Baiga community among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups. Because of malnutrition or lack of treatment, the real test will be whether the system changes enough to ensure that no child dies. 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. 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 While a single dose does not provide complete protection. 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 Baiga population in India was around 505,000, including approximately 414,000 in Madhya Pradesh and 89,000 in Chhattisgarh, according to the 2011 Census. A total of 75 tribal groups fall under this category. A budget of Rs 24,104 crore was allocated for the development of the 75 particularly vulnerable tribal groups, including the Baiga community. 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. Her name appears at number 14 on the government list of deceased children. 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. 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. 32,433 medical tests have been conducted and 14,637 MR vaccinations administered, according to the report. More than 600 water sources are also being cleaned. The deaths of 32 children, the report concludes, should not merely trigger a temporary response.
The civil surgeon of the area’s largest government hospital has also said there is no particular disease affecting the region. Balaghat’s Chief Medical and Health Officer, Shatrughan Dahiya, said the chances of death are negligible if even one measles vaccine has been administered. But the report says several basic facilities remain inadequate in the affected Balaghat villages. 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. 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. 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 response has raised a broader question: why were these measures not activated earlier, when the first children began falling ill?
