Even as sick Aijaz Ahmed has been airlifted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science and Research (PGIMSR) Chandigarh for advanced medical treatment, authorities of the border district of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir established containment zones in the Badhaal village of the Kotranka sub-division.
Seventeen persons from three ill-fated families including 13 children have lost their lives during the last 45 days due to a mysterious disease in this hamlet.
In an order issued by the District Magistrate Rajouri, Section 163 of BNSS has been imposed as part of “Containment Strategy and Surveillance Measures for Affected Families and Close Contacts in Badhal, Tehsil Khawas, District Rajouri”.
In view of the recent health situation in the Badhal area and to curb the further “spread of infection”, “Containment Zones” have been established and as part of it, all families where deaths have occurred have been declared as “Containment Zones”.
“The houses of these affected families shall be sealed and entry will be totally restricted for all individuals including their family members, unless otherwise authorized by the designated officers/officials,” the order reads.
All families identified as close contacts of affected individuals shall be declared as Containment Zone 2, the order reads further. All individuals from these families have been ordered to be shifted to GMC Rajouri for continuous health monitoring and the same has been made “mandatory”.
The third Zone covers all the households of Badhal village.
In this zone, staff shall ensure continuous monitoring of food consumption by the people.
Police personnel shall enforce compliance with the consumption of replaced food items under observation (food items to be supplied by the administration).
The logbook is to be maintained by designated officers to record every instance of food distribution and consumption. The entries will be made in the said logbook 3 times a day and each entry must be signed by the monitoring officer for accountability purposes.
The District Magistrate’s order has also prohibited all public /private gatherings within the jurisdiction of three containment zones to avoid further spread of infection.
Identified by the administration, the designated officers shall be responsible for monitoring all meals provided to the families in containment zones.
Affected families and their close contacts have to consume only the food and water provided by the administration.
The authorities shall immediately seize all the edible material dumped in the infected households and will be replaced by items supplied by the administration.
The District Magistrate has directed for immediate implementation of the order by the concerned departments including police, health, and food distribution authorities.
Also all public and private gatherings have been prohibited within the jurisdiction of these containment zones, in order to prevent further spread of the infection.
Chief Secretary holds meeting with officers
The order comes a day after Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo held a meeting of the Divisional and District administrations along with Health experts and the Police Department to take assessment of the measures taken so far to identify the “real causes” behind the mysterious deaths reported from Badhaal.
During this meeting, the Chief Secretary impressed upon the concerned Health and Police Departments to take stringent containment measures in consultation with the Divisional administration to ensure that there is no further loss of any life.
He advised the concerned to frame a proper SOP for monitoring the village population. He asked them to deploy sufficient manpower from both the Health Department and the Police to enforce the Do’s and Don’ts set in the SOP.
Dulloo further enjoined the divisional and district administration not to let down their guard and to allow only tested edibles and non-edibles to be used by the persons under quarantine. He stressed that till the actual causes of these deaths are not known both the Police and Health professionals
should carry on their investigations as required as per the set procedures.
He also urged them to study the reports received from the national diagnostic institutions that had taken samples from the village. He directed them to take every possible measure to protect the lives of these villagers till the toxicology reports point out the actual causes of these deaths.
Sick youth airlifted to Chandigarh
20-yead-old Aijaz Ahmed, who fell sick on Tuesday was airlifted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science and Research (PGIMSR) Chandigarh for advanced medical treatment,
Aijaz Ahmad, who had reportedly been attending some of the girls hospitalized in Jammu before they succumbed to the unexplained disease, fell sick on Tuesday.
Although Aijaz’s symptoms differ from those seen in the earlier victims—characterized by high fever, body pain, vomiting, and loss of consciousness—the authorities acted swiftly to ensure he received timely medical attention, citing the need for precaution.
He was immediately shifted to Government Medical College Rajouri. As his condition was deteriorating, he was airlifted to Chandigarh.
“Aijaz Ahmed who is battling sickness is about to reach Jammu. We have arranged an air ambulance from the Indian Air Force to shift him to PGI Chandigarh for advanced medical attention. I am truly grateful to Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, for his prompt help”, local National Conference MLA Javed Iqbal Choudhary informed.
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