Badhaal Deaths: Central health experts’ team in Rajouri for epidemiological study/research

Another patient from Badhaal shifted to GMC Rajouri in critical condition.
The 6th child of Mohd Aslam is also critical in Jammu hospital, He lost 5 to mystery illness

Shyam Sood
Rajouri, January 16: After experts from the health department ruled out any disease behind 15 mystery deaths in Badhaal area of Koteranka subdivision in Rajouri district, officials suspect that mysterious neurotoxins-localised and possibly having some epidemiological linkage, were behind the deaths in three families.
In the late evening hours on Thursday, sixty-years-old Jatti Begam, wife of Mohd Yousuf (62 years) developed some serious complications and was referred to AH GMC Rajouri from CHC Kandi at about 7.30 pm.
On Monday (January 13) Mohd Yusuf died due to mystery illness in Associate Hospital Government Medical College (AH GMC) in Rajouri & the condition of Jatti Begam was said to be critical.
Rajouri administration has sealed the house of Mohd Yousuf for further investigation
Meanwhile, a six members central team of experts, headed by Joint Director National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi reached Rajouri and Badhaal for epidemiological research to find out the root cause behind these deaths.
Epidemiological research helps us understand not only who has a disorder or disease but why and how it was brought to this individual or region.
On Thursday (January 16) team members visited three affected families and their relatives in Badhaal area and interacted with them to get systematic details of the circumstances leading to the deaths in each family.
Sources said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by SSP Rajouri to investigate the deaths of 15 persons, including 12 children, in the last 45 days have started an investigation into mysterious deaths.
Mohd Aslam, father of 5 children, who died after January 12, on Thursday has expressed his concern over the treatment in the hospitals in Rajouri and Jammu.
He has appealed to Lt Governor for fair and transparent investigation into the mysterious deaths in Badhaal area including of his 5 children.
“Those who were admitted in the hospitals, at Rajouri or Jammu, died while those kept under observation and they managed to go home are all alive,” said Mohd Aslam.
Citing the example of Mohd Akram’s brother Mohd Qayoom, who was under treatment in GMC Jammu and managed to leave the hospital on December 23 after the death of his brother’s wife, is now fit and healthy in Badhaal village.
“Had he been continuing to be under treatment in GMC, he would certainly have died,” said Mohd Aslam.
Mohd Aslam’s brother-in-law, Fazal Hussain became the first victim of this mystery illness and died on December 7 in AH GMC Rajouri.
Later his four minor children also succumbed in SMGS hospital to this mystery illness.
On December 12 three children of Mohd Rafiq developed health complications and died within a week. Their mother Razeem Akhter died on December 23 in GMC Rajouri.
Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Tuesday (January 14) in a high level meeting had directed the health and police departments to assess the reports received from different institutes of repute to identify the real cause of these deaths.
He directed the police department to utilise the best of their resources to study these reports along with using other scientific measures to reach the conclusion.
“The Health Department should study these reports to find the reasonable leads causing these deaths,” said Atal Dulloo.