Bihar encephalitis outbreak: Massive protests against Nitish Kumar over Encephalitis deaths in Muzaffarpur; toll mounts to 108

Massive protests rocked SKMCH in Muzaffarpur as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar arrived at the hospital to meet the ailing children. People raised 'go back Nitish' slogans as soon as the chief minister reached the hospital.

A total of 108 children have died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) so far.

Nitish Kumar, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, visited the state-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), where they met children undergoing treatment and also their parents, a district health official said.

The Chief Minister will hold a review meeting with doctors and health officials later in the day to take stock of the situation.

Of the 108 victims, 89 died in SKMCH and 19 in the private Kejriwal Hospital.

In both the hospitals, over 100 seriously ill children with symptoms of AES have been admitted and undergoing treatment.

However, unofficial deaths due the disease are said to be over 100 as some children died in villages before being hospitalised.

On Sunday, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visited SKMCH to review the situation.