The Centre is rushing five teams of senior paediatricians and para-medics to Muzaffarpur in Bihar to strengthen the state’s efforts and measures in the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome affected areas.

This was decided in a review meeting to take stock of the public health measures for the management of the Encephalitis cases. The meeting was chaired by Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi.

The Minister said the teams will strengthen the clinical care to existing patients in the hospitals and also strengthen surveillance of cases from peripheral areas.

He said a high-level central team led by Joint Secretary in the Ministry, Lav Agarwal is permanently stationed in the area to monitor the operations. Ten additional ambulances have also been put into action in the most affected blocks of the districts for round the clock services.

In Muzaffarpur, additional doctors and ambulances have been deployed to tackle the menace of encephalitis. Doctors from different government hospitals like Patna, Darbhanga and Nalanda Medical College Hospitals have been deployed to ensure round the clock availability at Srikrishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur.

The state government has provided ex-gratia of Rs 2 crore 76 lakhs for next of kin of the 69 deceased in Muzaffarpur.