AES outbreak: Bihar govt sets up camp in Harivanshpur village to offer 24x7 medical facilities

After the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) which claimed 132 lives, the Bihar government deployed a medical team in Vaishali's Harivashpur village where seven children succumbed to the deadly disease.

A team of doctors has been deployed in the camp to offer medical facilities to residents. Doctors are working in rotational shifts to provide 24x7 facilities in the village which has approximately 50 houses. In one shift, seven medical officials including doctors and nurses check patients.

Doctors told they examine 30 to 50 children daily and not a single patient of AES have been identified till now in Harivanshpur village of Vaishali district, which is located approximately 60 kilometres far from its neighbouring district Muzaffarpur and witnessed 132 encephalitis deaths.

Dr Anamika, Primary Health Centre Bhagwanpur told , "In most cases, the children are suffering from fever. We have not got any symptoms of encephalitis in any patient. We have examined over 50 children today. Some children, who are not ill, are also coming to us for check up."

The medical team is providing free medicines to patients and also advising children's parents about precaution of AES which is a viral disease and causes flu-like symptoms such as high fever, vomiting and in extreme cases, brain dysfunction, seizure, and inflammation of heart and kidney.

On June 24, the Supreme Court had also expressed "serious concerns" over the rising number of deaths due to the disease.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the children who had died due to AES. Nitish also gave directions to the health department, district administration and doctors to take necessary measures for the containment of the disease.

( With inputs from ANI )