Thirty children have died this month in two hospitals in Muzaffarpur with most of them being victims of hypoglycemia and not Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) as being reported in the media, officials said on Tuesday.
Thirty children have died till Tuesday that included seven at Kejriwal hospital, Muzaffarpur and 23 at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, a release issued by Muzaffarpur District Public Relations Officer Kamal Kumar Singh said.
Health Department’s Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar told reporters in Patna, “A total of 26 children have died till yesterday, 80 per cent of them were the victims of hypoglycemia, a condition caused by very low level of blood sugar.”
He, however, refused to give district wise break-up of the 26 children’s death.
“A team led by director-in-chief, Health Services has gone to Muzaffarpur to take stock of the situation prevailing there,” Kumar said.
Considering the gravity of the situation, a seven- member team would be visiting Muzaffarpur to take stock of the situation and also study about the disease which is taking heavy toll on children, he said.
Participating at a function organised at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) premises for laying foundation stone of 500 bed building, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed sorrow over the children’s deaths in Muzaffarpur.
