Srinagar, Feb 02: A team of medical experts from AIIMS Delhi, including toxicology specialists, visited Badhaal village in Rajouri district on Sunday to investigate a mysterious illness that has led to 17 fatalities.
An official told Rising Kashmir that the team collected samples from sealed homes and surrounding areas to determine the cause of the toxicity. They also spoke to local villagers to gather further details about the outbreak.
The AIIMS team arrived in Rajouri on Friday night and visited Government Medical College Rajouri, where they interacted with patients and their families. Some patients still under observation were examined, and the team recorded the medical history of 11 affected individuals currently undergoing treatment.
The AIIMS team is led by Dr. M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, and includes specialists Dr. A Shariff (Clinical Toxicology), Dr. Shailendra Kumar (Anesthesia & Critical Care), Dr. Jamahed Nayer (Emergency Medicine), Dr. Jagdish Prasad Meena (Pediatrics), and Dr. Javed Qadri (Clinical Toxicology).
A team from PGI Chandigarh also conducted an independent investigation into the cause of the illness, but left the area on Sunday after completing their inquiry.
The official further stated that 11 patients are currently receiving treatment at GMC Rajouri, where they are being administered Atropine, an anti-poison drug.
There has been some relief, as no new cases have been reported in Badhaal village for the past nine days.
To prevent further casualties, the administration has relocated 350 residents from Badhaal village to isolation centers at the Government Nursing College Rajouri and Government Boys Higher Secondary School Rajouri.
Badhaal village has been divided into eight clusters, each monitored by multi-department teams responsible for observing residents’ health and implementing preventive measures. The village has been declared a containment zone, with strict prohibitory orders in place to prevent gatherings and contain the spread of the illness.
