Encephalitis Death Toll Mounts to 100 in Muzaffarpur, Bihar Govt Announces Rs 4 Lakh Ex-Gratia

Muzaffarpur, June 17: Panic gripped in Bihar after a sharp rise in deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases. So far, the vector-borne disease has claimed 104 lives in Muzaffarpur. The most number of casualties occurred in Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), where Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visited on Sunday to review the outbreak. Encephalitis Death Toll: 100 Kids Confirmed Dead in Bihar; Schools, Colleges to Remain Closed Till June 19 

"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 quoted the Union health minister, as saying. NHRC Seeks Report From State Chief Secretary, BJP MP Blames Doctors' Scarcity in Hospitals For Children's Death.

The Bihar government announced Rs 4 Lakh each to the family member of deceased and free of cost treatment for the affected. "The ambulance facility will be free of cost, if someone comes to the hospital in a Pvt vehicle, the fare will be reimbursed to them. Expenses of all treatment will be borne by state govt. Ex-gratia of Rs 4 Lakh each will be given to families of deceased," chief secretary of Bihar Deepak Kumar said on Encephalitis. 'Strike on Encephalitis', Says RJD After Amit Shah Tweets on Team India's Win Against Pakistan in CWC 2019

Tweet by ANI:

National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has also issued a notice to Kumar seeking a detailed report in deaths due to AES in Muzaffarpur. The commission also sought the status of implementation of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Japanese Encephalitis Virus (NPPCJA) and other steps taken to deal with the situation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2019 08:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).