UP government eliminates all encephalitis-related deaths in Gorakhpur

Lucknow: In Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and surrounding regions, acute encephalitis syndrome and Japanese Encephalitis previously cast a dark shadow, suggesting a serious pandemic. Until recently, from July to September every year, a large number of youngsters in the region died from these diseases. Families sometimes found themselves in difficult situations, rushing unconscious children to BRD Medical College for treatment. Unfortunately, many children died even after they arrived at the hospital.

The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Yogi Adityanath, has focused on this issue in recent years, and in 2023, no kid in Gorakhpur district died from acute encephalitis syndrome or Japanese encephalitis for the first time in decades.

The government’s efforts worked off, and no kid died in Gorakhpur area between July and September 2023, which is considered the season for acute encephalitis syndrome and Japanese encephalitis. This feat is especially significant for Gorakhpur, which is the home district of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. His government’s public health efforts ultimately paid off, with zero cases reported last year.

Dr. Ashutosh Kumar Dubey, Chief Medical Officer of Gorakhpur, attributed this success to joint efforts. He said, “We attacked the sources of infection at their root level. Like a very good manager, the Chief Minister brought all the departments onto one page and said, ‘Now you have to solve this problem.’ Then what happened, all the officials followed his instructions.”

Encephalitis was once linked with death for children in Gorakhpur. It was eventually brought under control after six years of hard labor. In 2017, there were 764 occurrences of acute encephalitis syndrome, with 111 deaths. In 2023, just 88 children were infected with this syndrome, and all of them were saved. Similarly, 52 cases of Japanese encephalitis were documented in 2017, with two deaths, however no kid was sick with Japanese encephalitis in 2023.

This considerable shift was made by taking incremental steps toward larger changes. Over the last six years, the district’s modest community health centers have been turned into specific encephalitis treatment facilities.Cleaning is a top priority here. Ventilators, monitors, incubators, and other equipment have been properly set up. Sick children are now treated at community health facilities rather than being taken to Gorakhpur. This is because MBBS physicians and nurses have been stationed there. Until a few years ago, conditions were appalling here. There were no doctors, medications, oxygen assistance, or other critical equipment at the community health centers.

The 2017 incident was a severe setback for officials, since several children died at BRD Hospital owing to a lack of oxygen. However, following that occurrence, several adjustments have been implemented. Previously, the hospital only had 20,000 litres of oxygen backup, but today there are 70,000 liters. Furthermore, the number of beds in the hospital has expanded to about 400. In 2018, Yogi Adityanath’s government initiated a communicable illness control and prevention campaign, with specific orders for each department. For example:

1. Ensuring Proper Functioning of Toilets

As part of the campaign:

• The Water Department addresses faulty pumps and ensures the provision of clean water through pipelines.

• The Panchayati Raj, Rural, and Urban Development Department handle the disposal of garbage, clearing of wild bushes, and conducting fogging.

• The Anganwadi Centers ensure that children receive timely meals and rations to combat malnutrition.

• The Education Department will disseminate information.

This campaign is carried out before the monsoon, during the rainy season, and three times every year after the wet season.

2.Door-To-Door Campaign

To guarantee that no cases go undetected, ASHA and ANM workers visit each household. Free ambulance services 108 and 102 are available everywhere. When Japanese Encephalitis or acute encephalitis syndrome is reported anywhere in the district, the district team conducts a survey of the affected area. It is determined whether there is stagnant water somewhere, and other cases of infection are looked for.

Thus, Gorakhpur successfully recovered from the most severe episode of encephalitis. This success can be attributed to collaborative efforts at the grassroots level, political will, water cleanliness, the health department, improvements in the condition of primary health centers in rural areas, the appointment of specialist doctors in Gorakhpur hospital, and the strategy of attacking the virus at its source.

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