Journalism of Courage
The Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) has claimed the lives of five more children in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, taking the toll due to the condition to 48. Four deaths have been reported at Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and one at Kejriwal Matrisadan.
A seven-member central team, which visited SKMCH and Kejriwal Matrisadan at Muzaffarpur on Thursday, has recommended a separate ward for children with a laboratory at SKMCH.
Muzaffarpur civil surgeon Dr Shailesh Kumar Singh added that there have been 17 fresh admissions to two Muzaffarpur hospitals and 10 of those admitted are in a critical condition. So far, 80 children are being treated at the two hospitals. Since January, 134 children have been admitted to the two hospitals, 119 at SKMCH alone.
READ | 43 kids dead in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur this month, state cites low blood sugar
The civil surgeon said, “The team asked us to stick to the standard operating procedure of giving symptomatic treatment but asked for setting up a separate children ward with a laboratory at SKMCH. The team felt a laboratory at the hospital would provide reports quickly and help in the treatment of AES.”
He said the district administration had called a meeting of PWD engineers to make a proposal for a separate ward for children.
READ | Acute encephalitis syndrome explained: Definition, cause, and its contrary theories
The state government has got health volunteers to distribute ORS packets in AES-prone areas and have alerted about 1200 primary healthcare centres to provide immediate treatment to patients.
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey will visit Muzaffarpur on Friday to take stock of the situation.
