Four more children die in Muzaffarpur as Encephalitis fear grips Bihar, death toll rises to 67

All the victims are largely children below the age of 10 who have fallen prey to the hazardous disease caused by a very low level of blood sugar and electrolyte imbalance.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will visit Muzaffarpur on Sunday. (Image: PTI)

Muzaffarpur: Four more children died in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district due to Acute Encephalitis  Syndrome (AES) taking the total number of such deaths to 67 this month. All the victims are largely children below the age of 10 who have fallen prey to the hazardous disease caused by a very low level of blood sugar and electrolyte imbalance. All these 67 children who have lost their lives in the recent past were admitted at the state-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and the Kejriwal Hospital which is run by a trust. According to a release by the Muzaffarpur district administration, the four children died at SKMCH on Saturday. According to news agency PTI, since June 1, as many as 197 children have been admitted to SKMCH, while 91 were admitted to Kejriwal Hospital with suspected AES, but most of them were found to be victims of hypoglycemia. The condition of six children undergoing treatment at each of the two hospitals is stated to be serious. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will visit Muzaffarpur on Sunday to take stock and review the situation following the death of 67 children this month. "While the Centre is extending all support to Bihar for the containment and management of the recent surge of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases, I shall be going to Muzaffarpur tomorrow to take stock and review the situation at the site with the state government," Vardhan, said as per the release issued by Press Information Bureau (PIB). Vardhan said that the Union Health ministry is constantly monitoring the situation and supporting the state's health authorities in managing the AES/JE cases. "The continued round-the-clock presence of the Central and state teams in the affected areas and preventive actions taken by them have instilled confidence among the public. We will soon be able to contain the rise in AES/JE cases," the Union Minister said. "I shall discuss the management measures being recommended by the high level expert team of the Centre, and support that can be extended through National Health Mission (NHM) for health systems strengthening, and other Ministries of the Central government including the Ministry of Women and Child Development as part of the immediate and long term measures", Vardhan said further. Vardhan also said that Centre's multi-disciplinary team is deployed there and has been supporting the state government in management and containment of the cases. He also suggested that the number of pediatricians in the SKMCH hospital in the state be augmented for effective treatment of these cases. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also said that food distribution to all children through the ICDS aganwadi centres and hot meals distribution through NGOs, etc, shall help in boosting the nutrition levels of children in these districts. (With additional inputs from PTI)