Stories
MLA Sanjay Uike Claims 43 Child Deaths in Balaghat, Demands 'White Paper' from CM.
- •43 children from Baiga and Gond communities in remote, tribal-dominated villages of Baihar assembly constituency in Balaghat district have died from diseases like measles and malaria in the past five months.
- •Local MLA Sanjay Uike confirmed these deaths and wrote to Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, demanding a detailed 'white paper' on the entire situation.
- •MLA Sanjay Uike stated that according to available departmental data, only 28 of the 43 deceased children's families have received government assistance, while 15 extremely poor tribal families are still deprived of aid.
- •He demanded that the 'white paper' disclose the village-wise and age-wise number of Baiga child deaths in 2026, the official medical cause of death, and malnutrition data.
- •The MLA emphasized reviewing the distance of health centers from remote villages, ambulances, mobile medical units, Anganwadi nutrition schemes, regular child immunization, and the ground reality of education and livelihoods.
Key Questions Answered
MLA Sanjay Uike reported that 43 children from the Baiga and Gond tribal communities died from diseases like measles and malaria in Balaghat's Baihar assembly constituency over a five-month period. He stated that only 28 of the affected families have received government financial assistance, leaving 15 poor tribal families still deprived of aid. He subsequently wrote to Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav demanding an official white paper on the health crisis and immediate aid for the remaining eligible families.
MLA Sanjay Uike requested a detailed white paper disclosing the village-wise and age-wise number of Baiga child deaths in 2026, the official medical cause of death, and malnutrition statistics. He also asked for a review of actions taken for malaria prevention, such as mosquito net distribution, blood testing, medicine availability, insecticide spraying, and the operational status of local health centers and mobile medical units.
Investigations conducted by institutions including ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune confirmed that the child deaths in the Baiga region were caused by measles infections and malaria. The tests verified that all children with measles infections had missed regular vaccinations. Furthermore, tests for dangerous pathogens like Chandipura virus, West Nile fever, and Japanese encephalitis came back completely negative.
