To ensure timely treatment to the patients affected with Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)/Japanese Encephalitis (JE), the Centre on Thursday deployed 8 additional advanced life support ambulances (ALS) in Muzaffarpur in Bihar to ferry them from remote areas to the hospitals. Meanwhile, the State Government has launched a social audit along with active door-to-door case finding campaign and moving the prospective patients to the nearest PHC for early intervention.
The death toll has reached to 118 while the total number of AES cases registered since June 1 was 398 at the SKMCH and 154 at Kejriwal hospital, according to figures provided by the district administration.
"In view of the situation arising due to the AES/JE cases in Muzaffarpur and other adjoining districts in Bihar, the Union Health Ministry has instructed for deployment of eight advanced life support ambulances (ALS) in the affected districts.
"Accordingly, eight additional advanced life support ambulances (ALS) have been pressed into service for transportation of critical patients under National Health Mission (NHM)," said a statement here.
A central teams of 10 pediatricians and five para-medics has already started working in coordination with the state government while sixteen senior district officials and medical personnel have been sent to the vulnerable blocks for monitoring and early identification of cases and ensuring daily reporting. Their headquarters have also been shifted to these blocks also, the statement added.
Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the District Collector (DC) has now got involved and is personally taking responsibility. He has deputed the Senior Deputy Collectors (SDC)/District level officers to lead various block teams. These teams will be assisted by a district level Medical Officer and Medical Officer in charge (MOIC) to do the overall work at block level.
"The State government has started a social audit along with active case finding campaign through house to house survey and moving the prospective patients to the nearest PHC for early intervention. Surprise checks are also being conducted at the PHCs by the Senior Deputy Collectors (SDC). Additionally, the early morning inspection of Anganwadi Centres is also being undertaken by SDCs and Child development Project Officers (CDPOs). They are also distributing of ORS to each house in the affected villages," he stated.
Also, an ICMR team of experts has been deployed at the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) hospital for making the virology lab operational at the earliest, said Dr Harsh Vardhan.
