Prisoners' ward turned into ICU

Patna: More than 160 children have lost their lives in Bihar due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and brain fever since the outbreak of the disease. In Muzaffarpur alone, the encephalitis has taken the lives of around 118 children.

While two deaths were reported from the government-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) — taking the toll to 97 — another death was reported from the Kejriwal Hospital, where the total number of casualty has reached 20.

According to officials here, cases may spread further as few more patients with encephalitis-like symptoms have been admitted to SKMCH in the last 24 hours.

Facing criticism over inadequate infrastructure and lack of medical professionals in SKMCH, the district administration has converted the prisoners’ ward into a makeshift pediatric ICU. Sources said that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who visited Muzaffarpur on Tuesday, had directed the hospital management to convert the prisoners’ ward into an ICU to cope with the rush.

Over 402 children are currently being treated at four ICUs at SKMCH. Health officials from Muzaffarpur said, “Fresh cases with AES symptoms have been arriving for treatment almost every day since the outbreak of the epidemic. There is a shortage of beds but the hospital management is trying to cope with the outbreak with whatever infrastructure is available here.”

The situation at the hospital is such that two or even more children are made to share one bed along with their attendants. The erratic power supply has also been creating difficulties for both patients and doctors.