Chief Minister expressed grief over the children’s death in the state and ordered payment of Rs 4 Lakh as ex-gratia to the next of the kin of the deceased. (File)The death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur rose to 83 on Sunday morning even as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each.
An official release from the Chief Minister’s office said Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the children’s death in the state and ordered an ex-gratia of Rs 4 Lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.
Kumar also ordered the Health Department, district officials, and all doctors to take all possible measures to tackle the spread of AES, the release said.
In a press release, the Muzaffarpur District Administration said till 9 am, 83 children had died due to the disease in the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and Kejriwal Hospital. SKMCH is the worst hit, with 69 deaths reported.
On Saturday, the medical superintendent of SKMCH alleged the Union health minister had not fulfilled promises made to the hospital in 2014. This was the year that Bihar had reported 120 AES deaths, and the maximum were from SKMCH.
Officials, however, said that most of the victims, of whom several were below 10 years of age, were affected due to hypoglycemia, a condition caused by a very low level of blood sugar and electrolyte imbalance.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan is also scheduled to visit Muzaffarpur later today to review the situation prevailing in the region. Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey will accompany him, news agency PTI reported.
On Thursday, a seven-member central team had visited both the hospitals in the state and had recommended for a separate ward for children, along with a laboratory at SKMCH.
AES affects the central nervous system, mostly in children and young adults. It starts with high fever, then hampers neurological functions causing mental disorientation, seizure, confusion, delirium, coma. The disease outbreak is usually reported during monsoons (June-October). But the incidence is also reported during April-June in Bihar.
