Suspected AES cases reported in Muzaffarpur district

PATNA: A one and a half years old boy was admitted to Meenapur primary health centre (PHC) in Muzaffarpur district with the symptoms of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), locally known as ‘Chamki Bukhar’, on Thursday.
Ayush, the son of Vijay Ram of Morsar village under Jamin Mathia panchayat in Kanti block, was suffering from convulsions and high fever among other complications and the PHC doctors, without informing the Muzaffarpur civil surgeon office, referred him to the maternity hospital for treatment.When the health officials came to know about the case, they started looking for the boy at SKMCH and the maternity hospital in Muzaffarpur. Later, it was found that Vijay had returned home with the child. However, on Friday, the child’s conditions deteriorated.
Muzaffarpur civil surgeon Dr Birendra Kumar told this newspaper on Saturday that as soon as they got the information about the child, a doctor was sent to his home for medical examination. “We sent an ambulance, but Vijay reached the hospital with the child on his own. It was not a confirmed AES case. A few more suspected AES cases are under observation at SKMCH,” he said.
SKMCH’s deputy superintendent and head of paediatric department, Dr Gopal Shankar Sahni, said around 15 children were undergoing treatment with symptoms like convulsion among others but no one has been diagnosed with AES so far. “Two suspected cases have come and their medical reports are awaited. The hospital is fully prepared to treat the AES patients. We have 100-bed ICU in the paediatric ward,” he said.
Sanjay Kumar, special secretary of health department, said all the hospitals have been alerted and asked to make elaborate arrangement for AES patients.
Meanwhile, Saran DM Rajesh Meena on Saturday asked the officials to get ready to deal with any AES case as time factor is very important in the treatment of different types of fever. The officials discussed in detail about AES, JE (Japanese Encephalitis) and reviewed Mission ‘Indradhanush’ campaign in the district. Dr Dilip Kumar Singh, the district vector-borne disease officer, said 28 medical officers,1000 ASHA workers and 82 ambulances with necessary equipment were ready to deal with any AES/JE patient. “Ten beds in Sadar hospital along with 2 beds each in 20 blocks have been kept ready with necessary medicines and deployment of medical staff concerned for the purpose,” he said.
(With inputs from HK Verma in Chhapra)