On Thursday, Gaya district magistrate (DM) Abhishek Singh said that all private hospitals and nursing homes had been instructed not to admit patients with suspected Japanese encephalitis (JE) and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES).

The DM while addressing an encephalitis awareness workshop organized by the district health committee, pointed out that he had received complaints against private hospitals that they charge exorbitant fee from patients without providing correct diagnosis and treatment. And later, they refer patients to government hospitals.

Singh had asked Gaya civil surgeon Rajindra Prasad to inform all private hospitals and nursing homes about this decision and those who are admitting patients with suspected JE and AES, will be punished.

According to sources, at least 51 patients with suspected JE and AES were admitted to the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) in the last few days and 14 deaths were reported. Out of these, six suffered from JE, in spite of the fact that two of them had been immunized against the disease. Though vector-borne disease officer Dr M E Haq confirmed that even immunized children can fall prey to JE.

When asked about unhygienic conditions on ANMMCH premises, the DM said that the authorities have been given two weeks’ time to seal the hospital boundary in order to prevent entry of pigs and other stray animals. Rajindra Prasad also spoke about preventive measures like cleanliness, fogging and use of mosquito nets.

Due to the outbreak of AES and JE in the region, leaves of all government doctors posted in Gaya district has been cancelled. The DM said that the leave cancellation order would be effective till September.