Another case emerges; over 200 shifted to separate facility as precaution
Rajouri, Jan 23: Amid persisting mystery of seventeen deaths in Badhaal village of Rajouri, one fresh case of mysterious illness was reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, residents of ten villages of the area are presently undergoing treatment in different hospitals.
The high-level inter ministerial team deputed in the area to assist ongoing investigation also returned after collecting the samples.
In a related development, as many as 230 people from the affected area, identified as active contacts, have been shifted to separate facilities established by the administration in Rajouri town.
Medical Superintendent of GMC Associated Hospital Rajouri, Dr Shamim Ahmed said that six villagers of Badhaal were presently undergoing treatment in the hospital.
“Five patients have been hospitalised since Wednesday while a new case has been reported today. This new patient, an eleven-year-old girl, has been hospitalised,” said Dr Shamim.
He stated that out of five patients hospitalised on Wednesday, a sixteen-year-old girl is on ventilator support.
“The minor we've received today, is also sick and our team of doctors is putting in best efforts to provide aid to the patient,” said the Medical Superintendent.
On the other hand, 24-year-old Aijaz Ahmed, who was referred to PGI Chandigarh three days ago, is responding to the treatment and has been removed from ventilator support.
“We have good news that Aijaz has responded to the treatment and has been removed from ventilator support. His vital parameters are also good,” said MLA Budhal Javed Iqbal Choudhary.
Three real sisters, who were referred to PGI Chandigarh from GMC Rajouri on Wednesday evening but later kept in GMC Jammu and SMGS Hospital Jammu are under treatment there. The condition of one of three sisters is said to be critical.
One among them is under treatment in SMGS Hospital Shalamar while other two are in GMC Jammu.
On the other hand, the high-level inter-ministerial team deputed by the Ministry of Home Affairs returned from Rajouri on Wednesday late evening.
Officials said, “The central team had been there in Rajouri for four days since Sunday evening. It visited Badhaal village for three consecutive days.”
On Wednesday late evening, officials said, the team wound up its visit and returned to Jammu.
On the other hand, 230 people from the affected area identified as active contacts were shifted to a separate facility established by the administration in Rajouri town.
The people so far brought in the facility have been considered as active contacts as they are either close relatives of earlier victim families or they live in the neighbourhood.
The efforts to bring these people to the isolation facilities were started on Wednesday afternoon. “Till Wednesday evening, around seventy people were shifted. The process continued till midnight,” officials said.
“So far, a total of 150 people have already been brought into these facilities and another 80 people are about to reach, thus raising the number to 230,” officials said.
They said, “Two separate facilities have been established - one in GMC Rajouri where around 47 people have been kept and the other facility has been established in Government Nursing College Building where remaining people have been kept.”
“All kinds of basic facilities for these people have been taken care of, by the administration and a dedicated team of government officials have been deputed with different tasks,” said officials.
They added that medical teams were deployed round the clock in the facilities to conduct regular check-up and screening of people.
“This is not any isolation or containment facility but just a special facility established for the people in order to break their food chain and to discontinue use of eatables lying in their houses,” MLA Budhal Javed Iqbal Choudhary said.
He mentioned that medical experts were of the opinion that something poisonous in nature had come into the food chain of the local population and it was important to break this food chain for which the families were shifted out of their food chain.
“It is just a matter of time and we are hopeful that experts will give their final opinion very soon after which we will be able to identify the source of this neurotoxin,” the legislator further said.