Kottayam: A nine-year-old girl died of drug overdose on Wednesday, after a fortnight on life support. The girl was admitted to the Government Medical College in Kottayam on January 11 after she collapsed in her house at Thottaykkad.
An examination of the girl’s urine had showed that her body had dangerous levels of drugs usually prescribed for epilepsy and mental disorders. However, her parents claimed the girl was not on medication and no such medicine was stocked in their house. The police have filed a case of unnatural death.
Rosemary (Ponnu), the daughter of C Manuel and Tia Kuriakose, complained of sore throat as soon as she woke up on January 11. Then she collapsed and showed signs of disorientation. She was immediately taken to a hospital at Thottaykad, from where she was referred to the Institute of Child Health attached to the medical college.
Rosemary was in a serious condition when she was admitted to the hospital. She was put on ventilator with only her heart functioning. The doctors were still trying to diagnose the cause of the child’s condition when she passed away.
The doctors sent the body for post-mortem after tests revealed high doses of drugs in her. Samples of her blood, urine and viscera have been sent to the Central Laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram.
Rosemary's funeral was held at the Vyakula Matha Church at Parathanam near Mundakkayam at 10 am on Thursday. She was a third-standard student of the government school at Thottayakkad. Her father is a rubber tapper who went to Thottaykad from Parathanam. She has a younger brother who is four years old.