In order to provide treatment of Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a nodal hospital will be established in the premises of Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) at Panbazar, said Kamrup (M) Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu.

Participatingat a meeting of District Task Force (DTF) at DC Office, Pegu take stock of the measuresthat are being taken to prevent the disease and announced that a nodal hospitalshould be set up in order to provide treatment to the people who are beingaffected by the mosquito-borne disease.

Pegufurther stated that diagnostic services for Japanese Encephalitis with Elisakits should be made available in all district hospitals and government medicalcollege hospitals, awareness programmes should be intensified and foggingoperations should be stepped up in areas from where JE cases have been reported.

Thewetlands, stagnant water in paddy fields breeding mosquitoes and highpopulation of pigs and water birds like herons together make Assam prone to JEfor which the DC asks concerned department to raise awareness programmes in thearea from where maximum cases have been reported.

Meanwhile, three deaths have been reported from Sivsagar on Friday while one each case of death due to JE from Silapathar and Chabua has been reported.

As on Friday, 53 people have died in Assam due to Japanese Encephalitis, according to officials. As many as 29 out of 33 districts are affected by the disease that is spread by Culex mosquitoes.