GUWAHATI: In the wake of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) outbreak in Assam, the state health and family welfare department has decided to provide free ICU care to JE and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) patients admitted in ICUs of all government medical colleges and district hospitals.
This was announced by state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday June 6 during a press conference.
“We will provide complete free ICU treatment to JE and AES patients along with free medicines,” said Sarma.
He further added that JE and AES patients admitted in ICUs of private nursing homes will be provided with Rs 1 lakh by the state government for ICU treatment.
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Additionally, the minister also announced that those JE and AES patients who are unable to avail 108 ambulance service while reaching government hospitals, will be given Rs 1000 as transportation cost.
The department has also intensified blood sample collection across the state in order to prevent the number of JE and AES cases.
“All surveillance officers involved in blood sample collection will be provided with Rs 5 per sample as incentive to provide them with a sense of urgency,” said Sarma.
He added that blood sample collection and testing is the single most important source of prevention and till now 12.8 lakh samples have been collected in the state.
“We are stressing that people who show even the slightest of symptoms must come for blood sample testing to any government hospital so that we are able to detect the disease at an early stage,” informed the minister.
He added that till now 1094 villages have been identified as affected by the disease and the government has intensified fogging activities in these areas.
The state-wide JE death toll stood at 48, with more than 100 positive cases being reported across the state.
