Ghulam Nabi Azad visits Encephalitis-hit Gorakhpur

With Japanese Encephalitis claiming more than 450 lives in eastern Uttar Pradesh this year, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today took stock of the situation here and held a meeting with senior health officials.

Azad, accompanied by Kushinagar MP RPN Singh, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, and officials of Union Health Ministry and Indian Council of Medical Research, visited the BRD Medical College Hospital where scores of people afflicted with the disease have been admitted.

The Health Minister also held a meeting with state health officials.

Later, talking to reporters, Azad said he will visit the hospitals of adjoining districts and make on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

"The officials of my ministry and scientists from ICMR have visited BRD MCH several times during last two years, whenever the local MPs and representatives raised the issue in Delhi.

"I would visit the rural areas of the district tomorrow," he said, adding that the central assistance will be decided after the assessment.

Meanwhile, with three more children succumbing to encephalitis today, the death toll due to the disease in the region reached 474 this year.

Also, over 300 encephalitis patients are undergoing treatment at BRD MCH and other government hospitals, official sources said.