As Bihar Grapples With Encephalitis, Is the Govt Doing Enough?

As the death toll in Muzaffarpur due to AES crosses 100, is the government doing enough to tackle the crisis?

As the death toll in Muzaffarpur due to Encephalitis crosses 100, is the government doing enough to tackle the crisis?

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/ The Quint)

Mothers weep and fathers beat their chests as the weight of coffins continues to get heavier – this is the state Bihar's Muzaffarpur is in, as the region grapples with Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.

On Wednesday, 19 June, the death toll due to the disease touched 112 and about 300 children are being hospitalised. While the toll is expected to rise, people’s foremost concern is: Is the government doing enough?

It took 10 days for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to visit Muzaffarpur after the outbreak. Two days before Kumar’s visit, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan met with the families of the suffering children and assured them of all possible help from the Centre.

However, families of the deceased are left asking:

• Why do hospitals lack ICUs?
• Why do hospitals have a shortage of beds?
• How long before their plight is addressed and the crisis resolved?

Unfulfilled Promises from 2014

Similarly, during an outbreak in 2014, Harsh Vardhan had promised adequate health facilities after roughly 350 children lost their lives in Muzaffarpur. Speaking to news agency ANI, the health minister at the time had said that he has reviewed the progress and is “providing all the necessary support to the state government.”

He had also promised to build a virology laboratory in Muzaffarpur, which is yet to come up. During his most recent visit, the Health Minister asserted that the aforementioned lab will be functional in six months.

Cricket over Patients? Bihar Minister Faces Criticism for Asking WC Score

At the same time, Bihar cabinet ministers are facing the wrath of the people for their laid-back approach in tackling the situation.

Opposition parties lashed out at Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey after he enquired about the World Cup match score during a press meet organised in Muzaffarpur to address queries on the Encephalitis outbreak.

Moreover, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey faced severe criticism after he was seen with his eyes resolutely shut at another press conference on the issue.

However, Choubey later clarified that he had not been “sleeping” but “pensive”.

Whatever be the case, the misery of the affected kids and their mothers appears to be drowned out by the celebratory cheering of the jubilant NDA, which recently won the Lok Sabha elections.

Mainstream media seems to be distant as well, perhaps due to the World Cup frenzy and the formation of the 17th Lok Sabha.

We ask: How many coffins need to be lowered before the AES crisis in Muzaffarpur is resolved?

(Translated by Abhik Sengupta. Click here to read the original article in Hindi.)