Muzaffarpur: The health department has sought the help of religious leaders to raise awareness and tackle acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) plaguing 13 districts of north Bihar.

Officials of the health department have started approaching imams of mosques, priests of temples and fathers of the churches to spread awareness messages and health bulletins among devotees during prayers.

Executive director of the health department Lokesh Kumar has reviewed preparedness to tackle AES in the ensuing summer season with top health functionaries and directed them to set the government hospital in order at the earliest.

He, however, expressed displeasure over the dipping graph of immunisation of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Bettiah, Sitamarhi and Vaishali districts. Lokesh has directed the chief medical officers of all 13 districts of north Bihar to accomplish the target of JE vaccination.

He has requested the district magistrates of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Bettiah, Motihari, Siwan, Chhapra, Gopalganj, Samastipur, Darbhanga and Madhubhani to explore the possibility of spreading awareness messages from religious shrines.

Sources said the health department has plans to provide training to government doctors from April 17 for treating children with AES symptoms.

The health department has also planed to depute doctors in affected districts of north Bihar from other districts.

Availability of medicines, ambulances to shift people to SKMCH and creation of two AC beds at all primary health centres have been discussed and these would be completed within a fortnight.

District magistrate Dharmendra Kumar told The Telegraph that a detailed discussion on preparedness and gap analysis to tackle the menace of AES in summer has been made.

Health officials have been directed to fulfil the requisite need of medicine and apparatus for treatment of children with symptoms of AES.

Health workers, including Asha teams, have not only been asked to hand over health bulletins at every doorstep but also strengthen interpersonal communication with mothers.

The DM said quacks in villages are being warned to refer children having symptoms of AES to government hospitals for treatment.

Health authorities too have stressed the need to adhere to protocol regarding treatment of children with the symptoms.