Bihar: Acute Encephalitis Death Toll Rises To 100 In Muzaffarpur, Health Ministry Assures Every Possible Help

The death toll in Muzaffarpur and adjoining districts of Bihar due to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) has risen to 100, the Business Today reports. The AES which is popularly known as the ‘Chamki’ fever among the locals has affected children in the age group under 10.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visited the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and assured help from the centre. “I assure the people of the area, especially the affected families, that the government will extend all possible help and measures to the state government,” PTI quotes the health minister saying.

According to state government officials, most of the victims were affected by hypoglycemia, a condition caused due to very low blood sugar and imbalance of electrolyte. Back in 2014, a similar AES outbreak had claimed 379 lives.

While acknowledging the shortage of paediatric ICU at the hospital, Harsh Vardhan has said that the hospital will have a 100-bed paediatric ICU in another building constructed within the same campus in a year. Further, the government would also set up a “state-of-the-art” research centre at Muzaffarpur.