Three more children die in Bihar, AES toll touches 118
Muzaffarpur (Bihar): Three more children suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) have died here since Wednesday evening, taking the total number of deaths caused due to the outbreak to 118, the district administration said Thursday.
While two deaths were reported from the SKMCH hospital -- raising the toll at the government healthcare facility to 97 -- another child died at privately-owned Kejriwal hospital, where the total number of casualties has reached 20.
One death was reported from East Champaran district two days ago.
The total number of AES cases registered since June 1 was 398 at the SKMCH and 154 at Kejriwal hospital, according to figures provided by the district administration.
Uttar Pradesh-based pediatrician Kafeel Khan, who was suspended last year following the deaths of a large number of Japanese encephalitis-afflicted children at a hospital in Gorakhpur, has landed at the north Bihar town to volunteer his service.
The doctor, who has been running a "health for all" campaign after being released on bail by the Allahabad High Court, has set up a camp in the town's Damodarpur locality to offer free medical care to patients.
His twitter feed is also abuzz with videos aimed at spreading awareness about the symptoms of brain fever.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar -- who had visited the town on Tuesday and issued elaborate instructions to tackle the situation -- is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting in Gaya later in the day.
The meeting is likely to take place after an "aerial survey" of Nawada, Aurangabad and Gaya districts, which have been reeling under an intense heat wave that has claimed more than 80 lives in the state so far.
At the meeting, the chief minister will review the measures taken for protecting the people from the heat wave and brain fever, and evaluate the steps initiated for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis (JE) outbreak, which has been reported from several central Bihar districts in the past.
According to experts, unlike JE, AES is not caused by a viral infection but by malnutrition and a toxin found in unripe litchis, which is said to trigger hypoglycemia or very low blood sugar levels.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
