Site, design of 100-bed PICU in Muzaffarpur finalized: Health Minister

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday that the site and design of a 100-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district have been finalized.

He reviewed the status of cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the state with ministry officials. “The central and state teams have finalized the site and design of a 100-bed PICU at Muzaffarpur, which will be supported under a centrally sponsored scheme,” Vardhan said.

He added that there has been one death due to the disease and one new admission on Saturday. There are 84 patients in SKMCH, of which four are in a critical condition and under constant watch, the minister said. Vardhan said that the multi-disciplinary central team has been camping at Muzaffarpur for over a week now.

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“With the support of state and district administration, efforts of social and behaviourial change at community level and early identification and management at primary healthcare facilities have been strengthened,” he said.

The minister said that clinical management of AES is also being supported by the central team and patients are receiving round-the-clock clinical, diagnostic, and drug support.

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Additional Secretary and Mission Director (NHM) Manoj Jhalani, senior officers, and experts visited Muzaffarpur, including the SKMCH, and took stock of the situation.