Japanese Encephalitis worries Rahul, says will apprise Centre

Gorakhpur, Sep 12 (UNI) Expressing concern over the vector-borne Japanese Encephalitis (JE) that has claimed the lives of over 200 people so far in East Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said he would discuss the matter with the centre.

Mr Gandhi, on the second day of his visit here inspected the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, where the maximum number of JE patients were under remission, reports stated.

After enquiring about the health of the ailing and spending about half-an-hour at the children's ward this morning, the Amethi MP said he would take up the matter to the Centre.

Besides, the young scion interacted with the senior doctors of the hospital and kins of the sick.

The medicos also apprised Mr Gandhi about the requirements at the hospital and demanded that the Medical College should be given the status of Medical Institute.

Politicians naming UP Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Mahabir Prasad, Harikesah Bahadur Singh, Sanjeev Singh along with senior Health department officials also accompanied Mr Gandhi during his visit to the Medical college.

Mr Gandhi was on a two-day visit to Gorakhpur district to take stock of the flood situation.

As per official sources, the JE has taken the lives of nearby 230 people in east UP this monsoon season.

This year over 1200 JE patients had come to the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Gorakhpur district hospital, of which 229, including two of Nepal and 19 of Bihar, succumbed.

JE patients mostly trickle from Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Deoria, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda, Bahraich, Mau, Ballia and Balrampur districts of UP.

Gorakhpur has the dubious distinction of being the JE epicentre in the region.

The endemic afflicts eastern UP during monsoon every year and continues to take people under its jaws till the onset of winters.

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