Disturbed over the large number of deaths due to encephalitis in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district, India’s apex child rights panel has summoned the top health official of the state to appear before it, a statement said Monday.
“The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned the principal secretary (health), Uttar Pradesh government to appear before a bench constituted by NCPCR on Oct 3, 2012,” said the statement released here.
NCPCR member, Yogesh Dube had recently visited Gorakhpur and expressed his dissatisfaction over the government actions in dealing with as well as preventing cases of Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome.
“The state government has largely failed in dealing with as well as preventing cases. The government clearly lacks a long-term plan in dealing with the disease,” he said.
Dube stressed on the fatality rate and multiple disabilities caused by encephalitis and the need for an integrated management of physical and mental disabilities of infected children.
An awareness campaign was also launched by the NCPCR on the disease in Gorakhpur and Kushinagar districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
