BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Tuesday claimed that 93 children have died of encephalitis-related diseases in Malkangiri district of which 32 succumbed to the deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE).
Talking to mediapersons after a review, Health and Family Welfare Minister Pradeep Amat said Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) has claimed more lives than JE in the tribal district. So far, 61 children have died due to the vector-borne diseases.
''Of 561 samples tested, 162 were diagnosed with JE positive. While 32 died during treatment, rest were discharged from the hospital. Now, 17 children are admitted in District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) out of which six are in ICU and 11 are receiving treatment in the ward,'' he said and added that 180 villages in seven blocks of the district have been affected.
The Health Minister also informed that the State Government is yet to receive mosquito nets from the Centre. Earlier, State BJP president Basanta Panda had alleged that the actual death figure in JE is not less than 150. Among others, Health Secretary Arti Ahuja, Managing Director of NHM Shalini Pandit, Special Secretary (Technical) of Health Department Dr BB Pattanaik and Director of Social Welfare Prasanth Kumar Reddy were present.