Five out of 11 died as timely medical aid was not provided to them at the govt-run home The mentally-ill inmates of the Delhi government-run Asha Kiran Home could have been suffering from chronic starvation that led to their deaths. According to the initial post-mortem reports accessed by DNA, the inmates were suffering from congested liver, spleen, and kidneys, conditions that are caused by limited intake of food, according to doctors. Sources said five of the inmates — Maya, 39, Pintu, 18, Ganga, 21, Golu, 18, and Tanya, 19, — who suffered for months were not even taken to the hospital and died in the home itself. The bodies were later sent to north Delhi's Baba Saheb Ambedkar (BSA) hospital in Rohini for post-mortem, where the other six received treatment before dying. Post-mortem report of Ganga, 21, who was taken to the hospital but was declared brought dead, stated, "Liver was congested and weighed 1,200g. Spleen was congested. Stomach contained about 100 cc of light yellow semi-digested food material. Both kidneys were congested." A senior doctor from a Delhi government hospital, requesting anonymity, said, "These all are a result of chronic starvation and protein-energy malnutrition. It means the deceased did not have a proper meal for a long time. The inmates might not have eaten anything. A weak body catches infections, which can be fatal. The administration should have taken them to a doctor." Located in north-west Delhi, the shelter home for mentally-ill women and children has been under the scanner for the last few years. A Right To Information (RTI) query revealed that as many as 142 inmates have died from 2012 to 2015. An Asha Kiran Home official, on the condition of anonymity, said, "Five of them were gravely ill and were still not taken to the hospital. The post of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in the home has been lying vacant for a long time now. The callous attitude of the administration led to these deaths. These five inmates could have been saved if they had received timely treatment." Recently, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had issued a notice to the Secretary of the Social Welfare Department, after panel Chief Swati Maliwal, along with other staff members, carried out an inspection at the home and found that 11 inmates died in just two months. The DCW members found several other lapses on the part of home authorities, including the dehumanising living conditions, overcrowding, extremely unhygienic surroundings, and absence of proper medical care facilities. Talking about the issue, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Santosh Kumar said: "We have carried out the inquest proceedings in connection with the deaths at Asha Kiran. The final report is yet to come out. Things would be clearer after that."

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