Calcutta: Preschooler Calcutta Boys’ Schoolwho would have turned five next month, collapsed outside the school gates on Friday morning after vomiting three times and was pronounced dead after being taken to two hospitals within a 1km radius in quick succession.
An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was an undiagnosed disease.
Tanush RoyThe boy’s parents claim that he had no chronic disease and that he only complained of stomach pain on Thursday evening, when they gave him indigestion medication.
“He was a perfectly fit and cheerful child with no health issues. He complained only once of stomach pain yesterday evening. We gave him medicine and sent him to school today as he was fit and had a check-up. I have no idea how his condition deteriorated so quickly,” said his distraught father, Sourav Roy, a technician.
According to his parents, Tanush left his home in Keshtopur company car around 7 a.m. The pool van operator said he complained of restlessness halfway through and began vomiting when they reached the school gate at 7:40 a.m. and immediately called his parents. The mother of another child, who was also in the pool van, joined the driver in looking after Tanush.
“Initially, his parents did not realise that his condition was deteriorating so quickly. When he vomited for the third time, I tried to calm him down by pouring water on his face and body and told his parents to come immediately,” said pool van operator Chandan Roy Chowdhury.
At around 8.30 am, when he fell unconscious, I took him on a scooter to the nearest private hospital at Lenin Sarani. He also managed to poop his pants. The doctor could not find a pulse and told us to take him to the NRS Hospital immediately, which had an emergency ward for children. I rushed to the NRS and asked my parents, who were on their way, to reach the hospital,” said Chandan Roy Chowdhury, a pool van operator.
By the time he reached the NRS Hospital with the child, his parents had also arrived but Tanush was pronounced dead on arrival.
Additional CP (I) Murlidhar Sharma said, “According to initial information, the boy left home in a staff car. As soon as he came downstairs, he vomited. The driver of the staff car and his parent took him first to the GD Hospital and then to the NRS, where he died. The boy was reportedly unwell yesterday.”
School authorities organised a condolence prayer for the child on Friday and announced a day off from work on September 28, after all exams had been completed.
“We are absolutely devastated after hearing about the incident. We did not know what had happened as he had not entered the school premises. However, the primary school coordinator found out what had happened when he asked why the boy was absent. It is an unfortunate incident. We will be praying for him in a special way,” said principal Raja Mcgee.
– Featuring Dwaipayan Ghosh