Gorakhpur death toll rises to 63, here's everything you need to know about BRD Medical College tragedy

More than 3,000 children have died at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur since 2012. Japanese Encephalitis is a major problem in eastern UP.

A day after tragic deaths of over 30 children was reported from Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s constituency Gorakhpur, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has asked the state health minister to visit the city and submit a report.

The incident came just two days after UP CM visited the BRD hospital to review its functioning.

According to an India Today report, with the death of another kid today at the hospital, the death toll has climbed up to 63. The deaths have been blamed on shortage of oxygen supply and infections.

The government has, however, denied that there was any shortage of oxygen supply.

What did the state government say?

Dismissing the statements given by the Opposition, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said that BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is committed to the service of people with an assurance of taking strict action in the incident.

Video Courtesy: YouTube

CM Adityanath instructed Health Minister and Minister of Technical and Medical Education for proper investigation and strict action.

Every year children die in eastern UP

In eastern Uttar Pradesh, death of children is mere statistics. The death of 30 children over two days, has grabbed headlines, but according to a Hindustan Times report, more than 3,000 children have died at the BRD Medical College since 2012.

The HT report suggested that the 3,000-odd deaths are among 50,000 children killed in eastern Uttar Pradesh over the past three decades, most of them due to Japanese encephalitis (JE) and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES).

What is Japanese Encephalitis?

It is a type of viral infection related to dengue. This leads to accute inflammation or swelling of brain.

Video Courtesy: YouTube

What causes JE?

It is believed that a mosquito bite can cause the infection. It may also be caused sometimes due to bacterial infection.

What are the symptoms?

According to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis usually take 5-15 days to develop and include fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, and difficulty moving. Symptoms that develop later include swelling around the brain and coma.

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