Guwahati, July 14: Amid another wave of the COVID-19, rising cases of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) and Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases in Assam is keeping the health department on its toes.
As many as 23 cases were reported from 10 districts on Thursday with the season’s cumulative figures (since July 1) going up to 144.
The death toll has also gone up to 19 with three more casualties reported from three districts (one each from Darrang, Sonitpur and Udalguri) on Thursday.
State health minister Keshab Mahanta had on Wednesday chaired a review meeting on the JE and AES situation in Assam in the presence of the principal secretary (health), NHM director, director of medical education and other health officials.
The minister later informed that various issues concerning public health, including JE, malaria were discussed in detail while the overall COVID-19 situation and vaccine status was also reviewed.
“Medical colleges and hospitals in the state and some civil hospitals have been asked to make emergency arrangements for patients with JE and high fever.
It may be noted that July is the month when JE cases peak in Assam even as several parts of rural Assam have become fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes post floods.
As it is, the state health department had a few days back directed all districts to take immediate measures for management of AES/JE.
Accordingly, the districts have been asked to create separate wards for management of AES/ JE cases with dedicated ICU beds, oxygen beds to be arranged in all the district hospitals.
Procedural sample collection has been made mandatory for AES cases in all the district hospitals by specialist doctors with all aseptic precautions in order to avoid death while in transit or delayed referral to higher health centres.
Moreover, deputy commissioners have been directed to notify a district rapid response team comprising additional deputy commissioner (health), joint director of health services, chief medical and health officer (CD), district surveillance officer, district programme manager, district malaria officer, district epidemiologist, district vector borne disease consultant and a district data manager/ data entry operator.