Muzaffarpur, June 6: Eleven children have died in the past two days in Muzaffarpur of suspected encephalitis, taking the toll to 22 since the last week of May.

Sources said 19 children were admitted to Kejriwal Maternity Clinic and Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) with encephalitis-like symptoms today.

About 42 children were undergoing treatment at the Kejriwal Maternity Clinic, whereas, five children were recuperating at the SKMCH.

Chief medical officer Gyan Bhushan said the state government has provided necessary facilities like medicines, test kits and two ambulances at the Kejriwal Maternity Clinic, as large number of patients was undergoing treatment at the health hub.

The medical officer said a paediatric posted at the government sadar hospital, B. Kumar, has been deputed at the clinic to monitor the health condition of the children.

Sources said the attending doctors of the clinic have been requested to stick to the line of treatment as prescribed by an expert team of physicians headed by R.N. Pandey of Rajendra Memorial Research Institute, Patna.

Superintendent of the SKMCH G.K. Thakur told The Telegraph on Wednesday: “The paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital has started functioning. There are 16 beds in the ICU. All the five children have been admitted to the ICU and they are provided round-the-clock medical surveillance. The condition of the ailing children is gradually improving.”

Thakur added that he has requested health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha to provide at least 50 medical officers to run the emergency ward and the ICU of the hospital smoothly. Thakur expressed helplessness to run the hospital in view of the surge of patients at the SKMCH recently.

The superintendent said the principal secretary has assured him on-the-spot inspection of the SKMCH within a fortnight together with the building construction department secretary.

The central government has facilitated Rs 125 crore to the state government for the upgrade of SKMCH and Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.

Amarjeet Sinha on Tuesday attributed the recent deaths of children in Muzaffarpur and Gaya to excessive heat, poverty and malnutrition and not to encephalitis.

The principal secretary had said the government would set up nutritional rehabilitation centres in 2012-13 at 477 additional primary health centres and 533 primary health centres in Bihar to take care of malnourished children.