Authorities Cancel Leaves for Doctors and Medical Staff as Mysterious Illness Claims 17 Lives in Badhaal village Rajouri
Authorities have canceled all leaves for doctors and paramedics in response to a medical emergency triggered by the deaths of 17 people from Badhaal village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, who succumbed to a mysterious illness.
The number of individuals in quarantine has surged to 230 as a precautionary measure.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that preliminary tests by the toxicology lab in Lucknow have ruled out infections, viruses, or bacteria as causes, with the focus now on a potential toxin.
In a press conference on Friday, Dr. Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, Principal of Rajouri Government Medical College (GMC), stated that all medical staff leaves, including winter vacations, have been canceled to manage the crisis. The situation follows the deaths of 17 individuals from three families over the past six weeks, which has prompted significant medical intervention.
To bolster the response, the Jammu and Kashmir government has dispatched 10 additional medical students to GMC Rajouri to support the ongoing efforts. The condition of three patients receiving treatment at GMC Hospital in Jammu and PGI Chandigarh is being closely monitored, according to officials.
Four individuals, including three sisters, were transferred to hospitals, with three airlifted to a facility in Jammu on Wednesday. As a precaution, more relatives who had close contact with the affected families have been quarantined, bringing the total to 230 individuals in isolation.
The quarantine center at the Nursing College in Rajouri has been heavily secured and fenced to ensure containment, with strict security measures in place. Authorities have identified numerous people who had direct contact with the affected families, ranging from those who took children to the hospital to those involved in the burials.
Dr. Singh emphasized that a comprehensive investigation is underway. The initial findings from the toxicology lab suggest the illness is linked to a toxin rather than an infectious agent. Investigations are ongoing to identify the exact nature of the toxin, with authorities testing a variety of possible substances. Dr. Singh also noted that authorities are looking into any potential foul play or malicious activity related to the incident.
Badhaal village was declared a containment zone on Wednesday, with authorities enforcing prohibitory orders on public and private gatherings to prevent further spread.
The 17 victims, including 13 children, all hailed from the families of Mohammad Fazal, Mohammad Aslam, and Mohammad Rafiq. These deaths occurred over the last month and a half, sparking separate investigations by both the central team and local police.
A central team continued its inquiry on Friday, while the Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed after traces of neurotoxins were discovered in the deceased’s samples, is exploring the possibility of a criminal element. The SIT has already questioned over 50 individuals in connection with the case.
Dr. Bhatia confirmed that a common factor in all the deaths is neurological damage affecting the brain and nervous system.
