Japanese Encephalitis Cases in Assam on the Decline: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati, July 11, 2019:

People in Assam will be relieved to know that the cases of the deadly vector-borne disease Japanese Encephalitis are apparently on the decline.

This information was relayed by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma via his official Twitter handle. However, the Minister warned that the people already suffering from the disease who are admitted in hospitals across the state are not out of danger yet and the "concern" of the Assam Government is with them.

Taking to Twitter, Himanta Biswa wrote: "JE /AES positive cases are on a decline but our concern is with patients already in Hospitals. A total of 140 JE/AES patients are admitted as in-patients. Out of them 103 are in govt and 37 are in pvt hospitals. Out of 140, 40 are in ICU,10 patients are in ICU with ventilator."

Meanwhile, the Assam Government, through a press statement has informed that drugs like Paracetamol, Mannitol, IV fluids and other antibiotics are available free of cost in every public health institution.

All District Hospitals and Medical Colleges have designated beds for AES/Japanese Encephalitis cases. Ventilator Facilities are available in nice districts of Assam, i.e. Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Cachar, Golaghat, Kamrup (M), Lakhimpur, Sivasagar. An ICU in Goalpara Civil Hospital has been operationalized recently.

For early transportation of the fever cases from the villages to the district Hospital or Medical Colleges, 108 Mritunjoy ambulances are earmarked. A total of 3,622 fever cases were transferred to the health facilities during June 2019 itself.

The Government of India plans to begin an adult vaccination programme across the state during the current year after the Japanese Encephalitis season is over.

Moreover, the leaves of doctors and medical staff have been put on hold until the Japanese Encephalitis outbreak in brought under control.

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