Lok Sabha Question No. 4418 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-19
Subject: Action Plan for AES
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi, Imtiaz Jaleel Syed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4418 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH JULY, 2019

## ACTION PLAN FOR AES

## 4418. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI: SHRI SYED IMTIAZ JALEEL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Supreme Court has sought explanation from State of Bihar as well as U Government on steps taken to control the disease which killed more than 150 children in due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES);

- (b) whether State as well as Union Government have submitted their reply and future actio to tackle the situation and shortcomings of the past; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and action taken by Union G overnment in consultation with the State to avoid deaths due to this virus in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (c): A Writ Petition (C) No.780/2019 in the matter of Manohar Pratap Vs Union of India  and  others  was  filed  in  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  raising  issue  of  outbreak  of  Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzffarpur, Bihar.  Government of India has filed an affi av t in the matter in Hon'ble Supreme Court also indicating, steps taken by Central Government to support the State Government for containment and management of AES in Bihar. The main ste taken by the Central Government in the matter are as under: -

- Union Health  &  Family  Welfare  Minister  (HFM) had  reviewed  the  situation  with Health Minister of Bihar and also with officials from Ministry.
- MoHFW had deputed a Central team of experts consisting of Public Health Speciali from various Central Government Inst itutes to assist the State Government in containment and management measures.
- HFM  visited  Bihar  along  with  Minister  of  State  (HFW)  and  team  of  officers.  HFM reviewed  the  situation  and  also  visited  Shri  Krishna  Medical  College  &  Hospi (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur.
- MoHFW  deployed  another  high  level  multi - disciplinary  team  to  Muzaffarpur  drawing senior Paediatricians from various central government Institutes to advise state efforts to manage the cases. Epidemiologists from National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), senior paediatricians, Laboratory technicians from central level are prese Muzaffarpur since 12 th June 2019.
- Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC) facility of NCDC was activated to monit the AES situation in Muzaffarpur and co - ordinate tasks at the field level.
- MoHFW had further deputed 5 teams of Doctors along with technicians from Central Government Hospitals to SKMCH to support clinical management.
- Central team consisting experts from Indian Council of Medical Research (IC MR) was also deployed at SKMCH. The team is also scrutinizing and reviewing the case records discharge  and  deceased  patients  using  a  standardized  tool  to  know  the  reasons mortality.
- Government has also decided to constitute inter -disciplinary, high quality research team to establish precise cause of recent Acute Encephalitis Syndrome ( AES) outbreak and also for timely intervention and management of AES in future to save precious hum lives.
- Orientation training of all Paediatricians of SKMCH on clinical case management a treatment  protocol  of  AES  was  conducted  on  regular  basis  by  the  Central  Team paediatricians.