Health official rushed from Shillong
TURA: A total of thirteen new cases of the brain infection disease Japanese Encephalitis has been detected in West Garo Hills district prompting the state health department to rush in it’s nodal officer from Shillong to oversee the situation.The highest number of cases are from Tura where eight have tested positive and are being given medical treatment.The patients are not solely from any particular area but spread across the town.Patients have been detected from Upper Chandmari (3 patients), Daren Agal (1), Dobasipara (1), Tentengkol (1), R C Road (1), Nikwatgre (1) and one more from Najing Bazar.Another positive case has come from Chokchokia in Rajabala, one more from Garobadha and another from Wakantagre in Mukdangra. A thirteen years old girl who did not give her address is the 13th positive case to be taken in for treatment.The latest detection comes less than a week after two persons, one from Upper Chandmari and another from Simkalanggre village under Alagre health centre near Silkigre were diagnosed with the same disease.Absence of any monitoring on the rearing of pigs, particularly in Tura town by the authorities, is believed to have further aggregated the situation as the highest number of cases now come from the most important town in Garo Hills.Meanwhile, In the light of the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis cases in Tura Meghalaya Health Minister A L Hek had an emergency meeting on Wednesday in Shillong to review the status and situation.The State Nodal Officer of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme has been directed to rush to Tura and monitor the situation, government officials informed.The availability of drugs and medicines and treatment facilities have been reviewed and the Directorate of Health Services (MI) has been directed to provide all possible medical care and containment measures have been initiated,” informed the state health department’s Secretary Pravin Bakshi in a communique.