Authorities cancel all leaves of doctors & paramedic staff in Rajouri

STC NEWS DESK
Rajouri, January 25 (STC): All leaves of doctors and paramedic staff have been cancelled in Rajouri after the breakout of a mysterious illness in remote Budhal village leaving 17 people dead and forcing authorities to send over 200 people to quarantine centre.
Principal of Rajouri Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital, Dr Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, disclosed this in a press conference on Friday in Rajouri.
“The winter vacations have also been cancelled to deal with the medical alert situation after 17 people from three families died under mysterious conditions in the last one-and-a-half months,” he said.
He further said the Jammu and Kashmir government has deputed 10 additional medical students to GMC Rajouri to aid the medical setup amid the ongoing health situation.
Dr Bhatia revealed that the common factor among all 17 deaths is the involvement of the brain and damage to the nervous system.
Notably, union minister Dr Jitendra Singh in a statement to media said the initial investigation conducted by the toxicology laboratory in Lucknow concluded that the cause was not any infection, virus or bacteria but a toxin.
The Union minister said a thorough investigation is underway. “The initial investigation conducted by our toxicology laboratory in Lucknow concluded that it was not due to any infection, virus or bacteria but rather a toxin,” he said.

He added that the investigation into the nature of the toxin is going on. “There is a long series of toxins being tested. I believe a solution will be found soon. Additionally, if there was any mischief or malicious activity, that is also being investigated,” he said.(STC)