Assam: Encephalitis claims 49 lives, leaves of doctors, para-medical staff on hold

Guwahati, July 07: With reports of 49 deaths and 190 positive cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE), the Assam government has cancelled the leaves of all health department employees till the end of September to deal with an outbreak.

The state government also said it will file police complaints against doctors and health officials if they are found to be neglecting their duties.

Since April, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) has killed 50 people, mostly adults, in Assam. About 190 people have tested positive for the disease this year.

Apart from that, the government will give Rs. 1 lakh for the treatment of each patient.

The centre had sent a high-level team to Assam to pre-empt any chance of an encephalitis outbreak. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan sent the central team to review the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) situation and also directed the ministry to assist the Assam government in its prevention efforts.

Nine districts in Assam are most vulnerable to Japanese encephalitis. Since 2013, over 700 people have died of the disease.