Authorities confirm more than 30 deaths in the past one week. Situation worsens in Sapekhati Sivasagar district
Ratnadip Choudhury
Guwahati
Photo: Luit Chaliha
Reacting to the rise in Japanese Encephalitis’ cases in Upper Assam, the state government has sounded an alert. The authorities has confirmed more than 30 deaths in the past one week. “The situation is alarming. We will run a complete vaccination programme” said Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
According to sources in the Assam health department, Japanese encephalitis cases have been reported from Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat and Golaghat districts since January 5 this year. As the situation has turned worse this week, an alert has been sounded. Around 34 people have died in Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts due to JE and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), sources added.
The situation has worsened in Sivasagar’s Sapekhati area where about 10 people have been affected with the disease over the past one month, four have succumbed to the disease. However, the Sapekhati primary health centre (PHC) is not well equipped and can only undertake minor awareness measures and their fogging machines are also out of order. Most of the victims have been sent to the Assam Medical College and Hospital and are undergoing treatment there. In Dibrugarh, seven persons have died of AES and 13 others are suffering from the disease. Though no one has died of Japanese Encephalitis here so far, five persons from Barbaruah and Nahoroni have tested positive. “They are being treated at the Assam Medical College and Hospital,”joint director of health (Dibrugarh) DN Bangthai said.
As many as 27 deaths have been reported from various parts of the Sivasagar district. The worst affected areas have been Geleky, Sapekhati, Demow and Gaurisagar. “Six persons have died of JE, 15 others have tested positive and 21 have succumbed to AES and 53 have tested positive,” said Sadhana Dutta, joint director of health services, Sivasagar. Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that a vaccination programme will be launched in Sivasagar district In October next.
With inputs from Luit Chaliha in Sivasagar.
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