53 Children Die Of AES In North Bihar In 10 Days

Extreme anxiety and panic grip SKMCH and Kejriwal Hospital in Muzaffarpur, where dozens of seriously ill children with symptoms of AES have been admitted. The hospitals are reverberating with the cries and wailing of helpless parents as children continue to die of suspected Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). Some 53 deaths have been reported in the past 10 days, though the state Health Department has confirmed only 11 deaths of suspected AES during this period. Official figures put the number of reported AES cases this year at 48, up from 40 reported cases last year.

The state government has directed concerned officials to control the situation. But Bihar Health Minister categorically stated that most deaths were caused due to hypoglycemia (loss of sugar in the blood) and only one child died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE). Principal Health Secretary, on the other hand, said that 11…