Even as the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, Bihar is grappling with the menace of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) which has claimed the lives of more than 150 children, it is in the news again for a different reason altogether.
Many patients, their attendants, doctors and other staff on duty had a narrow escape on Sunday when a part of the roof outside the ICU of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) collapsed. However, no injuries were reported.
“A patch of plaster from the roof fell off. Nobody has been injured. It’s not inside any ward but around the veranda area. PICU is in between ward number 6-7 but the patch fell between ward number 5-6,” ANI quoted Sunil Kumar Shahi, SKMCH Muzaffarpur superintendent as saying.
This comes after in a major development on Saturday, hundreds of human skeletal remains were reportedly found in a forest area behind the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH).
An investigation team of SKMCH hospital accompanied by policemen visited the spot on Saturday.
Last week, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan accompanied by Union Minister of State for Health Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey had visited Muzaffarpur.
Harsh Vardhan had said that all the branches of the medical sector should work together to control the outbreak of the disease. He said all the children in the affected areas should be immunised and people should be sensitised about the disease.
Harsh Vardhan also said that a new 100-bed Intensive Care Unit will be set up in SKMCH within a year to provide proper treatment to patients with AES symptoms.
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome is a severe case of encephalitis transmitted by mosquitoes characterised by high fever and inflammation of the brain.
AES outbreaks are a routine in summer in areas in and around flood-prone north Bihar districts where the disease is locally known as “Chamki Bukhar” or “Mastishk Bukhar”. The epidemic mostly affects children from poor families, below 10 years of age.