UP govt orders action plan to check Japanese encephalitis

Lucknow, Nov 17 (PTI) In efforts to check the spread of mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis, the Uttar Pradesh government has directed departments to prepare a detailed action plan by November 30 and warned officials that serious action will taken if any new case of the disease is reported. During a meeting to review the spread of the disease, cabinet secretary Javed Usmani yesterday ordered a detailed inter-departmental action plan to be prepared by November 30 and submitted with the health department to check JE in affected districts. Usmani said that a separate meeting would be called for treatment and rehabilitation of children getting physically impaired due to the disease. He directed that there should neither be any laxity nor any child should be left out in the special JE vaccination mop up campaign between December 1 to December 31. Usmani said 10 bed pediatric ICU would be set up and made operational at the earliest in JE affected districts. The number of seats in diploma in child health at BRD medical college at Gorakhpur has also been increased from three to 10, he said. Hundreds of children every year are killed due to JE and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in various districts of Basti and Gorakhpur divisions. According to official sources, 555 children have died due to JE and AES in Poorvanchal region this year. PTI AVA PG HU