Gorakhpur:
Seventeen deaths in 72 hours, it is encephalitis nightmare in Gorakhpur. All the beds at the Gorakhpur Medical College are taken, mostly by children suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, a more dangerous form of the disease than Japanese encephalitis.
"There are two times the numbers of patients of AES here in proportion to JE. This one is worse because it ruins all these organs in the body which JE didn't and that's why it's harder to save the patient," said Dr Khushwaha, HOD, Paediatrics Department, Gorakhpur medical college.
Nassel Bhai, father of a 15-yr-old daughter who dies due to encephalitis, does not understand all this, all he knows is that his daughter is dead.
"She was the only one left. Her two brothers died several years ago and now she's also gone. Because of our condition, we couldn't even save her," said Nassel Bhai.
As per the nurses, two people die every day on an average due to Encephalitis in the Gorakhpur Medical College. A figure, which in itself shows, how deep the roots of the epidemic have reached.
Also, In western Uttar Pradesh, seven children have died and another hundred are in the hospital in Moradabad. Though the cause of death is not confirmed, the children were beleived to be suffering from viral fever.
It is believed that encephalitis is caused due to mosquitoes that breed in stagnant water. Hygiene is an important factor that plays a great role in the spiraling of the disease.
In the last 32 years, more than 7000 people have died of encephalitis just at the Gorakhpur Medical College Hospital. But, the centre is still unable to devise a vaccination programme for Japanese encephalitis which has already killed 200 this year. Even as cases continue to pour, the centre has no idea about how to deal with this outbreak.
Adding to the misery is the fact that more rains are expected in eastern Uttar Pradesh in the coming weeks. Something that is indicative of only more despair.
"There are two times the numbers of patients of AES here in proportion to JE. This one is worse because it ruins all these organs in the body which JE didn't and that's why it's harder to save the patient," said Dr Khushwaha, HOD, Paediatrics Department, Gorakhpur medical college.
Nassel Bhai, father of a 15-yr-old daughter who dies due to encephalitis, does not understand all this, all he knows is that his daughter is dead.
"She was the only one left. Her two brothers died several years ago and now she's also gone. Because of our condition, we couldn't even save her," said Nassel Bhai.
As per the nurses, two people die every day on an average due to Encephalitis in the Gorakhpur Medical College. A figure, which in itself shows, how deep the roots of the epidemic have reached.
Also, In western Uttar Pradesh, seven children have died and another hundred are in the hospital in Moradabad. Though the cause of death is not confirmed, the children were beleived to be suffering from viral fever.
It is believed that encephalitis is caused due to mosquitoes that breed in stagnant water. Hygiene is an important factor that plays a great role in the spiraling of the disease.
In the last 32 years, more than 7000 people have died of encephalitis just at the Gorakhpur Medical College Hospital. But, the centre is still unable to devise a vaccination programme for Japanese encephalitis which has already killed 200 this year. Even as cases continue to pour, the centre has no idea about how to deal with this outbreak.
Adding to the misery is the fact that more rains are expected in eastern Uttar Pradesh in the coming weeks. Something that is indicative of only more despair.
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