29 children die of encephalitis in Bihar hospitals

, Jun 7: Twentynine

died while 41 others were taken ill due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis in the past fortnight in

, official sources said on Thursday. While AES claimed seven lives, two died of Japanese Encephalitis in Anugrah Narayan Medical College and

(ANMCH) in Gaya, Medical Superintendent Sitaram Singh said. Six patients were undergoing treatment with symptoms of AES in the hospital, he said.

In Muzaffarpur's Kejriwal hospital, 20 children died due to the AES, while 35 others were undergoing treatment for the same disease, hospital administrator BB Giri said.

Meanwhile, the state RJD President Ramchandra Purve flayed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday for his alleged mishandling the outbreak of the AES and said that his party would send two fact-finding teams to Gaya and Muzaffarpur. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad also visited the PMCH hospital to inspect facilities for the AES patients and reprimanded the doctors for the unhygienic conditions prevalent in the premier hospital.

PTI