JE toll reaches 58 in 39 days in Malkangiri

Malkangiri: Even as the joint secretary of Health department claimed to have brought the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the district under control, the death toll due to the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) rose to 58 in last 39 days with two more children succumbing to the killer fever today. Till last reports came in, 8 children are still undergoing treatment in the district headquarters hospital out of which the condition of 1 child is said to be critical.

Meanwhile, Joint Secretary of the Health Department claimed that the spread of the vector-borne disease have been kept under control. As many as 115 kids have been discharged from the district headquarters hospital after being cured, he added. People will be made aware about the medical treatment and quack's advice.

"Though two children succumbed to the disease today at the hospital, the number of new patients have significantly declined. There are a total of 8 patients in the hospital out of which 7 are admitted in the ward while 1 is lodged in the ICU," said Malkangiri SDMO Kalyan Sarkar.

On the other hand, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Nruparaj Sahoo, who is also the deputy secretary of Panchayati Raj department, arrived in Malkangiri. He will stay in the district for two months and monitor the works undertaken by the government to contain encephalitis in the district.

The government on Sunday Sahoo as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to monitor and oversee works in the district.