Nagpur, July 14: Maharashtra health minister Digvijay Khanvilkar has ordered an inquiry by the state health secretary into the death of 44 children in eastern Vidarbha due to encephalitis recently. "The health secretary and director general of health services will look into the causes of death and negligence of health officials if any," Khanvilkar told a press conference here today after reviewing the matter with senior health officials including deans of government-run medical college hospitals.

A total of 107 children were admitted and 44 of them succumbed to the dreaded disease. Eighteen patients were still being treated at government hospitals while three of them had been discharged, Khanvilkar said.

A number of preventive measures were initiated by the health department, Khanvilkar said. He said government was seeking support of members of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian Paediatrics Association (IPA) and village level revenue staff for creating awareness among the inhabitants of low-lying areas where which lacked sanitation and cleanliness, allowing mosquitoes to breed, thereby causing encephalitis.

Bureau Report