GUWAHATI, July 6 - As Japanese encephalitis (JE) toll reached 49, the State government today announced free ICU care for JE patients in government hospitals and cancelled leave of all health officials till September 30.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that to ensure that JE patients are not deterred from getting timely medical treatment, all costs of ICU care, including hospital charges, drugs, diagnostics, will be made free of cost in all government hospitals operating ICU facilities.
�Those in ICUs in private hospitals will be given a one-time treatment allowance of Rs 1 lakh. In order to avail the benefit of the same, the attendant accompanying the patient will have to contact the JE central control room or the joint director (JD) of health services of the respective districts immediately on admission. The JD of the district will verify the patient in the ICU and immediately transfer the allowance,� the minister said.
Moreover, all patients who reach any government hospital for treatment using own means of transport due to non-availability of 108 Mritunjoy ambulances or 102 transfer ambulances, a consolidated transport allowance of Rs 1,000 will be paid from the hospital management society on confirmation of the positive status of JE or acute encephalitis syndrome (AES).
The Health Minister also announced a special incentive of Rs 5 per blood sample collected by MPW, ANM, SW and ASHA workers.
�Early detection of AES/JE through effective fever surveillance holds the key for ensuring timely treatment. The blood slide collection and testing of blood serum in suspected fever cases is paramount. We have collected 12.8 lakh samples so far through our fever surveillance network of 2,663 MPW, 963 SW, 80 MTS and 30,940 ASHA workers. We need this number to go up,� Sarma said.
Based on the tests conducted so far, the health department has mapped the JE-prone areas, and fever surveillance and fogging activities are being intensified in 1,094 such identified villages of the State.
Meanwhile, leaves for all doctors and paramedical staff, including surveillance workers, have been kept on hold till September 30. Any kind of emergency leave will be granted only with the prior approval of the deputy commissioner of the respective districts.
Unauthorised absence from the place of posting even after duty hours will be treated seriously amounting to criminal dereliction of duty. �FIRs will be filed for such dereliction of duty,� the minister said.
All ADCs (health), joint directors, district medical officers will compulsorily tour affected areas in their districts regularly along with visits to at least two hospitals per day.
Besides 49 deaths, a total of 190 JE positive cases have been detected so far this year in the State. All districts of Assam, except Kokrajhar, are currently under the influence of JE.
