Health Minister asks for updates on India-Pak cricket match during meeting on encephalitis

Patna, June 18: Even as Bihar is reeling under a major health crises, state Health Minister Mangal Pandey couldn't control the urge to ask for an update on the India-Pakistan cricket match during a meeting with central ministers over outbreak of the disease.

Seated beside Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and MoS Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the meeting that took place on Sunday, Pandey asks for latest cricket score.

To which someone replied, "Four wickets down."

On Sunday, India registered a thumping victory against Pakistan by 89 runs at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala took a jibe at Mangal Pandey for asking for updates on India-Pakistan cricket match while a meeting with Central ministers over the encephalitis outbreak was underway.

"Bihar's Health Minister and BJP leader Mangal Pandey is more concerned about the score of India-Pakistan cricket match than the death of children due to encephalitis. The government should know 126 children have lost their lives to the disease," Surjewala's tweet read.

As many as 125 children have died in Bihar with symptoms of AES, while the government has been maintaining major deaths have been caused by hypoglycemia, condition of extremely low blood sugar and electrolyte imbalance.