E-Paper
10 children in J-K’s Udhampur die due to mysterious disease
A high-level team of experts from health ministry in Delhi will reach the affected villages on Sunday to explore the cause and remedies.
After 10 children died of an unknown disease in a span of 15 days in Ramnagar tehsil of Udhampur district, a high-level team of experts from health ministry in Delhi will reach the affected villages on Sunday to explore the cause and remedies.
Six other children have been taken ill to the mysterious disease.
Chief medical officer of Udhamur district, Dr KC Dogra said, “10 children between the age group of two months to six years have died in the past over a fortnight and six others have been taken ill.”
Dr Dogra informed that the disease has not been diagnosed as yet and a high level team of experts will reach Udhampur on Sunday to explore the cause and suggest remedies.
“Out of six children, four have been hospitalized in PGI Chandigarh, one each in Ludhiana and SMGS Hospital in Jammu. It is a matter of serious concern for us. We have issued an advisory to the people asking them not to panic and rush their children in the wake of any symptoms to the qualified paediatricans in hospitals,” he said.
The CMO informed that the children contracting the disease develop symptoms of fever, cold and they also vomit eventually leading to their renal failure.
“There are around 10 to 15 villages in a radius of 30 kms in Ramnagar tehsil where the children are getting ill to this undiagnosed disease,” he added.
He informed that various teams of doctors were camping in the affected area to ascertain the cause of the fatal disease.
“Even the doctors at PGI Chandigarh, who conducted autopsy of one such child from Ramnagar, have not been to reach any conclusion as yet. We have lifted samples of water, drugs given to the children by local quacks and food etc. Teams of doctors from Jammu and Udhampur and block level are camping in the affected area and we are trying to ascertain the cause of the disease,” Dr Dogra said.
He informed that doctors at the PGI Chandigarh, who are treating four such children, are conducing intensive investigations but have not been able to reach any conclusion as yet.
District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Piyush Singla had already directed the public health engineering department to collect samples of drinking water for laboratory testing and to ensure safe drinking water is provided to the public.
