7-yr-old girl second suspected case of GBS in state

Ranchi: In a possible of yet another case of the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in the state, a seven-year-old girl from Koderma district, who had recently returned from Kolhapur in Maharashtra with her family, was wheeled into the paediatrics ward of Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) on Saturday evening with symptoms, doctors said Sunday.The girl, her family members said, was initially admitted to a private hospital but was facing a cash crunch as they did not have an Ayushman card. They requested the health department officials who then stepped in and got her admitted to Rims."Although we are yet to get a lab confirmation of GBS, she is showing all symptoms such as weakness in her limbs. She has a travel history to Kolhapur. She has been placed under HFNO (high flow nasal oxygen) and continues to be stable at the moment," Dr Sunanda Jha, the associate professor at the paediatrics department of Rims, told TOI.Last week, a five-year-old girl child, who had also returned from Maharashtra, was admitted with symptoms and became the first case of GBS in the state after her samples tested positive.Soon after, chief minister Hemant Soren chaired a meeting with senior govt officials and directed the Rims management to ensure that it was ready to handle a possible spurt in GBS cases.Talking to TOI on Sunday, health secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said all district hospitals have been asked to step up awareness campaigns to promote hygiene to prevent GBS. "So far, the outbreak in Maharashtra is due to the lack of hygiene. We are focussing on awareness campaigns to minimize risks arising out of contaminated food or water consumption," he said."Both cases in the state have a travel history and no local outbreak has been reported yet," Singh added.Rims management, which has been asked to be ready for emergency situations, is also ready to offer consultations to private hospitals. "Our doctors also checked the six-year-old girl who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. This is not a communicable disease and there is nothing to panic," Rims public relations officer Dr Rajiv Ranjan said.