NCPCR takes note of encephalitis in Gorakhpur, summons senior officials

New Delhi: A day after CNN-IBN highlighted deaths due to encephalitis in Uttar Pradesh, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken note of the disease in Gorakhpur. NCPCR has summoned senior health officials of Uttar Pradesh.

Over 350 children died of encephalitis in 2012 in Gorakhpur. In the encephalitis ward of Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, three children die on an average everyday. While most of the children are on ventilator support, doctors are fighting all odds to keep them alive but many parents have already run out of hope.

Of the 480 children admitted in the ward, half have symptoms of acute encephalitis - high fever, vomiting and convulsion. An hour's drive from Gorakhpur is a place called Kothai, where 250 children have died in the last six years because of mosquito and water-born encephalitis. More than half the children in the village are malnourished and clean drinking water is a luxury for them with 120 of the 200 India mark hand pumps not working in the area.

Over 350 children died of encephalitis in 2012 in Gorakhpur and many more are on ventilator support.

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