Nadda promises central support to Odisha for encephalitis

Promising all central support to Odisha in tackling Japanese Encephalitis, Union Health Minister J P Nadda today asked the state government to play a pro-active role and strictly follow the protocol while dealing with the disease which has so far claimed 57 lives.
"One wonders why such incidents are happening time and again. The state government needs to be pro-active. It should act and react in time ... We are there to support on all issues," Nadda told reporters while winding up his one-day visit here.
Stating that issues relating to Japanese Encephalitis and malaria were discussed at length with officials, the Union Minister said the state government must ensure that the protocols must be followed and in time.

Many initiatives have been taken in dealing with Japanese Encephalitis, but all measures must be taken in time in order to get positive results, he said, adding the Centre is ready to provide technical and other support.
Noting that there was a need for over one crore medicated mosquito nets to be distributed in the state, Nadda said 40 lakh nets have already been made available and the rest would be provided shortly.
Vaccination for Japanese Encephalitis would be undertaken in four districts of the state in December.

Meanwhile, with the death of another child, the toll in Japanese Encephalitis outbreak today mounted to 57 in around seven weeks in Odisha's tribal-dominated Malkangiri district.

A five-year-old boy from Mathili block died while undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of the district headquarters hospital here, taking the toll to 57, a senior official said.
Unconfirmed reports, however, put the toll at 60 due to the vector-borne disease which has affected around 100 villages spread over six out of seven blocks in the backward district.