Centre to set up multi-disciplinary research centre at Muzaffarpur

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, on his return from Muzaffarpur, reviewed the situation arising from the reported cases of AES/JE in Bihar at a high level meeting on June 17, 2019, which was attended by senior officers of the Health Ministry, ICMR, and AIIMS.  Ashwini Kumar Choubey, MOS(HFW), was also present at the meeting.

Dr Harsh Vardhan has directed for sending another high level multi-disciplinary team to Bihar immediately. The team will undertake the necessary ground work for setting up a state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary research centre at Muzaffarpur. Dr Harsh Vardhan, during his review visit to Muzaffarpur  on June 16, 2019, had assured the State about establishing such a Centre at Muzaffarpur.

“To establish the cause of the disease, there is an urgent need for an inter disciplinary, high quality research team.  The research team shall work with the children suffering from AES/JE looking at various aspects including periodicity, cycle of disease, environmental factors and metrological data, besides other factors,”,Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated.

The inter disciplinary team consists of experts from ICMR, Delhi; NIMHANS, Bangalore; National Institute of Malaria Research; National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad; National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai, and AIIMS, Delhi.

The members of the high level central team are: Dr Jhuma Sankar, Associate Prof , Deptt. of Paediatrics , AIIMS, Delhi, Dr V Ravi , Senior Prof Neuro Virology , NIMHANS, Dr Abhinav Sinha , Scientist E, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dr Biswaroop, Assistant Professor, Paediatric Neurology, AIIMS, Dr Manoj Murhekar, Director, National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, Dr Tandale, Scientist F, NIV, Pune, and Dr Arlappa , Scientist F, National Institute of Nutrition , Hyderabad, according to a PIB release.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan also said that five virological labs will be set up in different districts in Bihar.  In one of the decisions taken during his Muzaffarpur visit, Dr. Harsh Vardhan had instructed to set up a 100-bed paediatric ICU at SKMCH, Muzaffarpur,  by the State Government. Also, in the adjoining districts, 10 bed paediatric ICUs will be set up with support from the Centre, so that such cases can be given better and exclusive treatment and there is no unnecessary load on the facilities available at SKMCH.

Emphasising the need for early detection and treatment of hypoglycemia cases, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that a dedicated team of doctors should be placed at endemic Primary Health Centre (PHCs) with required facilities at least for 3 to 4 months before and during onset of disease and they may be incentivised under NHM appropriately.

Dr Harsh Vardhan also said that Ministry of Earth Science will be requested to upgrade its IMD observatory facility for improved monitoring of climate related parameters such as temperature humidity, rainfall, heat waves, etc., and share it with the State Government and NCDC for better preparedness and management of AES.