Ranchi, Jan 31 The Jharkhand government is on high alert after a five-year-old girl in Ranchi was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Chief Minister Hemant Soren held a high-level meeting on Friday with the Health Minister and senior officials to address the issue.
Deputy Commissioners and Civil Surgeons from all districts joined the meeting via video conferencing.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure immediate examination and treatment for anyone showing symptoms of the disease. He also instructed hospitals and medical colleges across the state to keep special wards ready, equipped with ventilators, oxygen supply, and essential medicines.
While GBS is not contagious, but he said there is a need for timely treatment and public awareness.
Health Department Principal Secretary Ajay Kumar Singh informed that the affected child was admitted to a private hospital in Booti Mor, Ranchi, after recently traveling to Maharashtra with her family. A health surveillance team has gathered detailed information about her case, and stool samples have been sent to Pune for further testing.
So far, no other cases have been reported in Jharkhand, but authorities remain vigilant.
Health Minister Irfan Ansari, who attended the meeting via video conferencing, stated that he is personally monitoring the case. The state government is also awaiting guidelines from the Central Government.
Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, Avinash Kumar, along with other senior officials, was present at the meeting.
Several cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome have been reported in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Rajasthan.
According to medical experts, GBS is an autoimmune disorder that can affect the nervous system but is not contagious. With timely and appropriate treatment, most patients recover fully.
GBS is a serious illness that often progresses rapidly, making the patient bedridden in a few days. It is associated with damage to nerves causing severe weakness of limbs, trunk, and face. It is often followed by a bacterial or viral infection (such as diarrhoea causing Campylobacter Jejuni bacteria or viral infections like dengue or chikungunya), that wreaks havoc on the nerves.
In people afflicted with GBS, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, leading to weakness and, sometimes, paralysis, or even death.
GBS is a very rare but potentially paralysing nerve disorder caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the body’s own nerves. It is often triggered by gastrointestinal or respiratory infections.
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