Encephalitis deaths, Bihar's vulnerability & minister's insensitivity

Six more children died in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Monday, taking the toll due to suspected Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) to 103 and prompting the state government to announce a slew of measures to tackle the situation.

According to a release issued by the district administration, 18 deaths were reported from the Kejriwal hospital and 85 from the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), where Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had visited the patients on Sunday and assured their families of all possible help from the Centre.

While doctors have maintained that the deaths occurred due to AES, state officials claimed that most of the victims, below the age of 10, have died due to hypoglycemia -- a condition caused by low level of blood sugar, electrolyte imbalance due to high temperature and extreme humidity.

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