Image Source: News18.com
More than 100 children were died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. It deadly affect the life of the poor people in Bihar. This year there have been 560 cases of AES, along Muzaffarpur having 120 cases.
Someone says the reason behind is eating litchi, increase in temperature and many others. But the main reason behind to the deaths of children is economic problem. The children who were dying, there family belongs below poverty line. They were can’t able to afford healthy food, regular medical checkup, etc.
The socio-economic survey covered 289 families in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. It showed that 280 families were below poverty line and were worked as daily wage worker.
In this families, just 29 girls were beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana. 99 families received Indira Awaas or PM housing schemes benefits.
Most of the patients, (over 97 per cent) had hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar level. AES is known as ‘brain fever’. It increases the temperature and directly effect the brain.
In hospitals, there were not sufficient bed for patients, very less doctors, not good food for patients. Dirty hospitals, its impossible for small children to be survive in this climate, eventough adult also find it difficult for their selves. In such a condition how could someone deal with disease.
Who is responsible for this, the government, doctor, hospital staffs, public, or someone else. We have to think about it, its not the problem of Bihar, its the problem of each and every state. Government and public both have to work together.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn’t say a single word on. Why this crisis happen, how this problem to be solved. Immediately government have to take steps to solve this. But no movement is seen from the government side. They were just keep silence on their mouth. Not the Bihar government but national government also have to take major steps to stop this type of crisis.
Experts have been blaming the AES deaths on ‘3G’- Garmi, Garibi, and Gaon, or Muzaffarpur’s heat, poverty, certain district apidmological features, which ensure AES cases almost stop with the first rains. Dr Arun Shah, executive committee member of Indian Academy of Pediatricss, says, “AES” occurs mostly among children below 10 years. In most cases, malnutrition is the common factor. Hypoglycaemia (low sugar levels) is another common thread.”
After the recent visits of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to SKMCH, the health department called upon Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) to lead the charge. All PHCs and CHCs, the government said, should have devoted AES wards, each with at least two beds. These wards, with oxygen cylinders and glucometers, have have to be air conditioned. They have been told that they must treat AES patients, not just refer them to SKMCH and other bigger hospitals.
Above given data is only of the Muzaffarpur’s government hospital. Most of the children were died in their house they don’t have able to visit the hospitals, about whom nobody knows. In many different districts of Bihar. In very large number children were dying by this crisis. The complete data is not covered by the government. Every year in a large number children were dying due to AES.
According to SRS on an average 39 out of 1000 children died due to malnutrition. Its very tough for us that every year a large number of children died due to malnutrition. At that time when 19,000cr rupees spend on heath of children from 2016-18. but no improvement is seen between this time.
The crisis of malnutrition is high in Madhya Pradesh, there were 1226 Anganwaadi Kendra’s and every month 40 lakh is given to Kendra’s for the take care of children. In MP three NIC centres were also present. Which is specially for the children who were affected by the malnutrition. It number is high mainly in the family which were below poverty line. They don’t have money to afford healthy food or two times of meal to their children.
The girls who were married at very young age, and she gave birth to a child. Automatically, the child became malnutrition, because she is weak and when she gave birth to child, her body is not ready for that, but she have to did that. Its not just a minor problem. Its the starting point of problem and poverty. People just ignore it but high time to think about it. People have to obey the rules and government have to make better policies for the welfare of people and society.
Government have to take some major steps like:-
- Eduction facilities should be provided to poor people.
- Increase the number of hospitals.
- Increase the number of doctors.
- Increase the number of hospital staffs.
- Clean water should be provided.
- Drainage should be provide.
- Number of ambulance should be increased.
- Number of beds should be increased.
Its the duty of every citizen to check whether the government is working for their welfare or not. We have to fight for our own right. At first, we have to know our rights. Its our duty to clean our surroundings. And provide a healthy environment for us.
