A woman waits for treatment of her baby suffering from suspected Japanese encephalitis, at Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital in Gaya on Tuesday. Picture by Suman

Gaya, Oct. 11: One more child succumbed to suspected Japanese encephalitis at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) today taking the death toll to 62 in the district.

The first case of suspected Japanese encephalitis was reported in the hospital on August 23. Bihar state health secretary-cum-executive director of health department Sanjay Gopal visited the hospital on Sunday to take stock of the situation.

Since, the first case of suspected Japanese encephalitis was diagnosed at ANMMCH, four to five new admissions have been reported almost every day. So far, more than 275 children have been admitted to the hospital out of which 49 are still receiving treatment. Around 132 have been discharged after they successful treatment, while 31 have left the hospital without giving any information to the doctors or the authorities.

Meanwhile, during the visit of the health secretary, ANMMCH paediatrics department head Ajay Kishore Ravi suggested certain measures to check the outbreak of suspected JE among residents.

He suggested a mass immunisation programme for children up to 15 years. “The immunisation programme should begin from April and the second dose of the vaccine should be administered after one month. Once the third is administered after one year, all those who have been vaccinated twice will develop lifelong immunity against the deadly Japanese encephalitis,” Ravi said. According to the report of World Health Organisation (WHO), JE normally breaks out at least six weeks after the onset of the rainy season, so mass immunisation should be carried out in advance,” Ravi added.

He also suggested increasing the cattle-pig ratio, especially in the Mahadalit tolas where residents rear pigs. As pigs become host to the arbo virus that causes Japanese encephalitis, piggeries should be made with bamboo enclosures at some distance from the human habitation and the villagers guarding the enclosures should be fully immunised.

“The government should provide grants to people to purchase cattle along with pigs. By increasing the cattle-pig ratio, the percentage of mosquito bite to a child can be reduced. The mosquitoes need blood and availability of cattle would provide an option to them. This could reduce outbreak of the disease among children,” Ravi added.

He also suggested a check on breeding of Culex mosquitoes by carrying out fogging in paddy fields and places where water accumulated for a long time and also in the areas where people have pigs as pets.

Ravi also informed the health secretary about shortage of doctors in the department. So far, only three doctors have been posted against the sanctioned strength of 11.

Last month, state health minister Ashwini Choubey and health department principle secretary Amarjeet Sinha also visited the hospital. Then, too, concerns regarding shortage of doctors and other constraints were raised but the situation remained the same.

On direction of health department principal secretary, a team of four doctors has been deputed at ANMMCH. The team visits the hospital thrice a week. A special immunisation drive, started in the district after the disease outbreak, has also been affected because of shortage of vaccines. Gaya district civil surgeon Dilip Kumar has assured more vaccines will soon be made available.