Nitish expresses dismay over uncertainty regarding exact nature of brain fever

Under attack for the virulent spread of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday expressed dismay over the inability of medical experts to pin-point the nature of the brain fever that grips the state's northern districts every year and claimed the lives of more than 150 children last month.

Intervening during a debate on the floor of the state assembly that followed acceptance of an adjournment motion on the AES outbreak, Kumar, whose government has been under attack for its failure to contain the outbreak of the disease, said, "We were lucky for couple of years as the disease did not strike with the same virulence. But this time, it resulted in a mammoth tragedy".

The chief minister recalled that in 2015, a year after the state witnessed the worst ever outbreak of AES, he had convened a meeting of experts at AIIMS, Patna, to look into the nature of this disease.

"Please note, it is still called a syndrome (a group of symptoms). Each expert appeared to have a different opinion. So I requested that people from the medical field set up a committee which could arrive at a conclusion.

"This is important as in cases where the exact nature of disease is known we are able to act much more effectively," he said.

Kumar said Japanese Encephalitis, for which Gorakhpur in neighbouring UP is most notorious, has been reported in Gaya.

"We have instructed officials to carry out intensive immunisation drive. The vaccines are obtained from the Centre. Officials have been instructed that even seemingly less vulnerable districts must be covered lest the virus strikes there," he said.

However, he added, that does not mean his government has watched haplessly following the AES outbreak.

He said the state government will focus on prevention until a cure is available to deal with this disease. The preventive methods will include creating better awareness about the syndrome among people.

"It is the reason why I have ordered a socio-economic profiling of families which have reported AES cases," Kumar said.

"I also visited the SKMCH hospital in Muzaffarpur (government-controlled, which alone counts for more than 100 casualties). I regretted why I never visited the hospital earlier in my tenure. The principal secretary of the health department had accompanied me and I pointed out that the pediatric ICU was woefully short of expectations," he said.

The chief minister said he ordered for upgrading the facility and subsequently, a separate ward which was reserved for jail inmates needing medical attention was converted, temporarily, into a pediatric ICU.

"Nonetheless, the hospital will see a huge upgrade... Facilities available there will be made on par with super-specialty hospitals in Patna," he assured.

Asserting that availability of funds would not come in the way, the chief minister said healthcare will not be compromised for want of money. "If need be, we will move a second supplementary budget".

Kumar spoke in detail on the deadly disease that has claimed 154 lives so far.

"It's a very very unfortunate incident. We just cannot express our regret (towards the incident)," he said in the assembly.

"It's a very serious issue.... It was quite evident after meeting the attendants of patients and victims during my visit to the SKMCH that most of the victims belonged to poor families."