Angry citizens write letter in blood

 Apart from the PM, the letters in blood would be sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, the Union health minister and the Planning Commission, according to Dr R N Singh, chief of the Encephalitis Eradication Campaign. The blood letters campaign underway in several districts is aimed at forcing concrete steps to rid the region of the dreaded disease that claims many lives every year, Singh said.

“So far over 500 people from different walks of life have written the letters...we expect more people to take part in the campaign...the response is great and reflects people’s anger against government apathy and sense of urgency for concrete measures,” he added. Singh said letters in blood was their last resort after attempts to “wake up the officials from their slumber and do something to eradicate the disease” had failed.  

The letters contain their demands for a comprehensive JE eradication campaign across the region, declaring JE a national calamity, including JE eradication in the Five Year Plans and compensation for the victims.

Over 250 people, mostly children, have died of JE this year, of whom nine children died at the Gorakhpur Medical College hospital in the last 24 hours. About 50 people with JE were currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.