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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Scourge sting puts govt on toes by Sumi Sukanya

Scourge sting puts govt on toes by Sumi Sukanya

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published Published on Nov 19, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 19, 2011

The state government has finally swung into action to fight the outbreak of encepha-litis, but not before the death of 85 children.

Health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha today said plans were afoot to set up paediatric Intensive Care Units (ICUs) at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANNMCH), Gaya and Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur in the wake of the huge number of suspected Japanese encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome cases reported in the two health hubs in recent times.

“The outbreak of Japanese encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome cases in Gaya and adjoining areas is very unfortunate. The disease has so far claimed 85 lives. We are trying our best to check further spread of the disease,” he said.

Sinha’s comment comes a day after The Telegraph reported that ANNMCH had in the last 88 days received 389 patients, of whom 85 had succumbed to the mosquito-borne disease.

Health secretary Sanjay Kumar said: “The Telegraph report, ‘Cure-less orphans of neglect’ published yesterday, has put the government on its toes.”

Sinha, however, said all measures prescribed by the Union government and World Health Organisation in tackling the disease were being adhered to. “We had launched Japanese encephalitis vaccination campaign in Gaya, Muzaffarpur and West Champaran in 2009, covering children aged between 1 and 15. We also introduced vaccination through regular immunisation in November, 2010. The campaign was completed in Gopalganj, Siwan and Nawada in 2011. More than one lakh children of the areas that were badly hit and their surroundings have been vaccinated since the confirmation of the outbreak,” he added.

Sinha said the state government had requested a central team visiting ANNMCH and affected areas to suggest ways of mass immunisation. “We have also requested Indian Council of Medical Research and the department of health research, Union government, to open a long-term research centre in Gaya to study the cause and ways to prevent the disease,” he added.

Kumar said the department was monitoring Japanese encephalitis cases at the state level. As a preventive measure, 485 villages have been identified as worst-hit.

A report from Gaya said experts from Delhi, Pune and Patna have started research on the suspected Japanese encephalitis cases. A team from Delhi reached Gaya yesterday following an initiative of the Prime Minister’s Office. They visited villages in and around Gaya and Nawada yesterday and today as well.

On the other hand, chief minister Nitish Kumar today announced that a virology department would be set up at SKMCH. “Encephalitis has assumed an alarming proportion in several pockets of the state,” divisional commissioner (Tirhut) S.M. Raju quoted Noitish as saying.

The chief minister was in Muzaffarpur as part of the second leg of his Seva Yatra that concluded today. Altogether 48 children have so far died of suspected encephalitis in and around the district.

Nitish held a review meeting with senior officials and functionaries of health, education, rural and urban development and primary health engineering departments. He directed the principal health secretary to find ways for launching immunisation campaigns and vaccination of children.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALOK KUMAR AND KHWAJA JAMAL

The Telegraph, 20 November, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111120/jsp/bihar/story_14775469.jsp


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