Encephalitis is no more a dreaded word in eastern Uttar Pradesh. In the previous years, this killer disease had taken the lives of thousands of children but now people are ready to wage a war against it with the help of government schemes and improved health facilities at the village level.
The figures say it all. In 2016, encephalitis had taken the lives of 715 children in eastern UP and in 2017, the toll was 748. After this the mortality figures showed a declining trend and in 2018 278 children died of encephalitis while till August 31 this year, only 38 children have fallen prey to it in Purvanchal, considered the hot bed of this killer disease.
“The figures are really a source of encouragement for us. We fought hard to control this menace and now it seems we are succeeding,” Dr Ganesh Kumar, principal of BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, told this reporter.
Doctors, both government and private, give the credit of this change to the awareness campaign that the Yogi Adityanath government launched against encephalitis for bringing down the toll. “The inflow of encephalitis patients in BRD Medical College hospital in Gorakhpur is much less now because the people are now getting treatment at the village level. The primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) now have trained doctors and para-medics who give treatment to the patients at their door step. Thus, the pressure on us is not as it used to be earlier,” said Dr Mahima Mittal, head of the paediatrics department at the BRDMC hospital.
Eastern Uttar Pradesh had witnessed the worst years of encephalitis menace in early 2000 when over 1,500 deaths were reported only at the BRD Medical College hospital in 2005.
Small children, some convulsing, others lying unconscious with their eyes rolled back, used to overcrowd the only 52-bed ward in the hospital. Deaths were announced over and over again by the wails of mothers collapsing on the filthy floor.
“The situation has changed now. In 2005, we had a 52-bed ward but now the number of beds has increased to 428. The ICU has now ventilators and all the beds have connected oxygen facilities. This is in BRDMC hospital but the biggest change is in PHCs and CHCs where special encephalitis wards have been set up,” Dr Mittal said.
Chief convenor of Encephalitis Eradication Campaign, Dr RN Singh, confirms Dr Mittal’s observation. “I cannot vouch for government figures but as a private practitioner I can say that earlier I used to examine 2-3 encephalitis case in a week but now one case comes in a month or so,” Dr Singh said.
What has brought about the change is the steps taken by the Yogi Adityanath government after it assumed office in UP.
Dr KP Yadav, in-charge of paediatrics department in Chauri Chaura CHC, said the biggest transformation was in rural areas where 104 encephalitis treatment centres (ETCs) were set up from block to village levels.
“Dastak, an inter-departmental programme, brought several government departments like Urban Development, Health, Education, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj etc., together to create awareness about cleanliness, safe drinking water and fight against encephalitis,” Dr Yadav said.
He said 3-bed ICUs had been set up at CHCs where the children get quick treatment.
Dr Shishir Roy gives credit to the sustained vaccination drive that was carried out by the government. “Over 40 lakh children were given anti-encephalitis vaccine in seven endemic districts of Uttar Pradesh. This vaccine has helped in eradicating Japanese Encephalitis,” he said.
Japanese encephalitis has been wiped out of many Asian countries, but has plagued parts of India for decades, especially near the Nepal border in the north-east corner around Gorakhpur. It is closely related to West Nile virus and attacks the brain and spinal cord. It typically spreads from pigs to people via mosquitoes, is easily identified through testing and can be prevented by vaccination. It infects many people in childhood, but only a small percentage end up experiencing severe symptoms. Up to a third of those who are sickened develop problems ranging from paralysis to mental disabilities.