PATNA: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will visit Muzaffarpur on Sunday to take stock and review the situation following the death of 67 children this month.
The 67 children died due to hypoglycemia in two hospitals here -- the state-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and the Kejriwal Hospital which is run by a trust, officials said.
"While the Centre is extending all support to Bihar for the containment and management of the recent surge of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases, I shall be going to Muzaffarpur tomorrow to take stock and review the situation at the site with the state government," Vardhan, said as per the release issued by PIB.
During his visit, the Union Health minister will interact with the multi-disciplinary teams deployed there and address the state level review meeting, it said.
Vardhan said that the Union Health ministry is constantly monitoring the situation and supporting the state's health authorities in managing the AES/JE cases.
"The continued round-the-clock presence of the Central and state teams in the affected areas and preventive actions taken by them have instilled confidence among the public.
We will soon be able to contain the rise in AES/JE cases," Vardhan added.
The Union Minister, who met Bihar's Health minister Mangal Pandey twice recently, discussed the reported rise in cases of AES from Muzaffarpur and JE from Gaya in Bihar, and public health measures for their containment.
"I shall discuss the management measures being recommended by the high level expert team of the Centre, and support that can be extended through National Health Mission (NHM) for health systems strengthening, and other Ministries of the Central government including the Ministry of Women and Child Development as part of the immediate and long term measures", he stated.
A Central government team of experts had visited Muzaffarpur on Wednesday last.