New Delhi: Encephalitis is a dreaded ailment which has afflicted Uttar Pradesh for long. For almost 4 decades, the Eastern Uttar Pradesh has been epicentre of encephalitis with fatality rate of as high as 20-30%. The epidemic type disease which broke out in 1978 and continued till very recently in almost 38 districts was either ignored or brushed under the carpet by successive governments but it wasn’t the same with Yogi Adityanath government.
After Yogi govt took charge of the state in 2017, it focussed on the deadly disease which claimed upto 600 deaths in a year due to encephalitis only.
It was the proactive, co-ordinated, concerted and focussed approach of Yogi government which managed the arrest the disease in its tracks.
Earlier governments had given up on Encephalitis, due to which death of infants climbed every year. But, Yogi government has been instrumental in not only arresting the fatalities and also in eliminating the disease from roots.
Brain fever set to disappear
Remarkably, the UP government has achieved 95% success in eradicating Encephalitis and as per reports, the killer disease might be consigned to the bin of history by next year.
From 1978 to 2017, more than 50,000 children have either died or are suffering lifetime of physical and mental disabilities. In last 3 years, these figures were reduced to tens of units. This has been possible due to sustained efforts of Yogi Adityanath, who took personal interest in containing this epidemic.
Japanese encephalitis cases were reported in Eastern Uttar Pradesh for the first time in 1978. It was first discovered in 1956 in Tamil Nadu in the country. Since the virus of encephalitis attacks the nervous system, it is known in common parlance as meningitis or meningitis.
Since the disease was new, many people started saying ‘Navaki disease’ as well. From 1978 to 2016, the four months of mid-June to mid-October were very heavy and tumultuous on the people of Gorakhpur and Basti division, especially the poor rural people.
How Yogi govt vanquished the epidemic
Encephalitis was first raised by Yogi Adityanath in Lok Sabha for the first time by Yogi Adityanath in 1998. When he became UP CM in 2017, he put extra focus and thrust in containing its outbreak which happens every year between June-October.
Even before 2017, Yogi Adityanath raised his voice on this epidemic in every session of the House for 19 years. Yogi also marched more than 10 km on foot from the medical college of Gorakhpur to the District Magistrate and Commissioner office on several occasions in hot afternoons.
It was he who saw the disease and its menacing death march years ago and launched a drive to counter this.
Arrangement for proper Medical treatment
After becoming the Chief Minister, providing adequate medical treatment was one of key priorities of Yogi Adityanath government.
A total of 23 encephalitis treatment centers, including 9 CHCs and 13 PHCs have been opened in Gorakhpur alone to keep a check on the disease.
There is a system of mini Piku (Paediatric Intensive Care Unit) at Chaurishaura, Gagaha and Piprauli CHC. Mini Piku has ensured deployment of three paediatricians, four staff nurses, one technician, pharmacist and other staff in addition to three beds and ventilators for the encephalitis sufferers.
In addition, two beds on all PHCs and six beds on all CHCs are reserved for encephalitis patients. The district hospital also has 17 beds for such patients. The abundant availability of medicine and oxygen is ensured at all these places because the Chief Minister takes cognisance of it.
Healthcare facilities of medical college improved
Official data suggests arrest in fatality rate, with each successive year since 2017. Encephalitis deaths have decreased 80% in 2018, 90% in 2019 and 95% in 2020.
Before Yogi Adityanath became the Chief Minister, the number of high dependency units in the encephalitis ward of Baba Raghav Das Medical College was just 6 which has now gone up to 60.
The number of ventilators in the ICU has increased from 60 to 120 and the number of warmers for newborns has increased from 14 to 40. The paediatric department of this college had 154 beds as of 2017, out of which the number is now around 500.
Yogi govt’s efforts arrested brain fever havoc (Gorakhpur district, in figures)
Why other states can emulate Yogi model
Apart from Gorakhpur and adjoining districts, Encephalitis patients used to come to BRD Medical College for treatment, from various districts like Gopalganj, Bagaha, Siwan and Terai of Nepal. Due to efforts of UP government, the disease has been controlled, due to better medical facilities at the CHC and PHC level in the districts, there is no need to come to BRD.
Senior paediatrician Dr RN Singh of Purvanchal, who is carrying out a massive campaign to eliminate encephalitis, says that the coordinated effort of Yogi govt has played pivotal role in eradicating encephalitis to a great extent.
Since 2018, encephalitis cases have decreased continuously. Other states of the country should also adopt Yogi model for encephalitis control so that it can be eradicated from the entire country, he opined.
