India's child rights panel Saturday said the Uttar Pradesh government has to respond fast to contain the deadly viral disease of Japanese encephalitis which has so far claimed 391 lives in the eastern part of the state.
"It is time that the government reacted and responded to it. We can take cognizance of it, but more has to be done by the state government,” National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Shanta Sinha told a news channel.
"Huge amounts of money are being spent in the name of health. What are they doing with the money? They will have to see that the money is spent well and the children get treated properly," Sinha added.
The virus, which causes inflammation and infection in the brain, has affected parts of Gorakhpur, Balrampur and Santnagar districts, a state health official told IANS in Lucknow. The Uttar Pradesh government has already sanctioned Rs.22 crore to combat the menace.
The killer disease, an annual hazard for lakhs of people living across the poverty-ridden part of the state, is taking three-four lives every day.
While Gorakhpur's B.R. Medical College, with a bed strength of 200, has been the nodal centre for treatment, activist have raised concerns over arrangements in other district hospitals.
"This is a criminal neglect from the state and central government. The state government asking for 100 beds is absolutely pathetic because that is not going to be sufficient,” said Ranjana Kumari, director of Centre for Social Research (CSR) here.
"That is too little, too late. Why are they not making proper arrangements? The health budget needs to be increased," Kumari said.
More than 3,000 children have died of the virus since 2006.
