ANMCH

Patna/Gaya, Nov. 22: The Centre is planning to ask doctors at Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH) to prepare a report on children who turned mentally or physically challenged after recovering from encephalitis.

“Though there has not been any official communication from the Union health ministry, they have sent us a message verbally and it has been passed on to the doctors at ANMCH,” a senior official in the health department said today.

The official said of the 258 patients who have been discharged from the hospital so far, 190 have become either mentally or physically challenged. “These children are suffering from neuro-psychiatric complications such as locomotive disorders, mental retardation and speech disorders. Though the state government is yet to decide on any financial assistance for their families, the Centre has come up with the proposal to set up a rehabilitation centre and it is being considered at the highest level,” he told The Telegraph.

Over 85 children have succumbed to the disease in the past three months.

Yesterday, two more children were admitted to ANMCH with encephalitis symptoms. “The latest patient is an 11-year-old girl, Priyanka Kumari, who was admitted to the hospital last evening. We have collected her blood samples and sent them for diagnosis to the microbiology department. We are finding out if she is suffering from Japanese encephalitis,” said Dr Ajoy Kumar Ravi, the head of the paediatrics department, ANMCH.

A nine-year-old boy from Barachatti block was also admitted to the hospital with acute encephalitis syndrome symptoms last afternoon. With Priyanka’s admission, the total number of encephalitis cases reported at ANMCH has reached 391.

In the last three days, more than 11 patients have been discharged from the hospital. Thirteen others are still reco-vering.

Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey is likely to visit ANMCH tomorrow. On the other hand, state health secretary Sanjay Kumar met Union health ministry officials in Delhi today.

The meeting would continue till tomorrow and issues such as factors leading to the outbreak of the disease, its aftermath and future course of action in the Magadh division would be discussed.