The state health department would test the blood samples to find out the exact cause of death of 11 children having symptoms of encephalitis at two hospitals in Muzaffarpur over the past fortnight.

Officials were tight-lipped on what caused their deaths but district chief medical officer Gyan Bhushan said: “Nine children died of heatstroke and high fever at Kejriwal Maternity Clinic, while deaths of two others have been reported from Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH). We have collected their blood samples for pathological tests and other examinations.”

A team of Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI), Patna, headed by Dr R.N. Pandey, inspected Kejriwal Maternity Clinic and the SKMCH over the past three days to take stock of their preparedness to treat children.

Dr Bhushan said: “The inspection team of RMRI has collected blood samples for pathological examination to find out the cause of the deaths of the 11 children.”

The RMRI team met the doctors at Kejriwal Maternity Clinic and SKMCH and discussed the line of treatment for the children admitted with suspected encephalitis. The team also visited the special ward at SKMCH where the children have been admitted. They expressed displeasure over the preparedness of Government Sadar Hospital to treat the ailing children. Pandey blamed Bhushan for the poor infrastructure at the sadar hospital.

Five children were admitted to Kejriwal Maternity Clinic with suspected encephalitis on Sunday, taking the number of kids admitted to the clinic with the symptoms of the disease to 17.