SRINAGAR: In a major breakthrough, the doctors at GMC Rajouri have administered atropine to treat 11 patients who fell ill from a mysterious illness in Badhal village of J&K’s Rajouri. This treatment has proven to be a game-changer, resulting in significant recovery among the patients.
No fresh case has been reported from the affected village in the past three days, suggesting that the situation may finally be under control.
Principal, GMC Rajouri, Dr Amarjeet Singh Bhatia told this newspaper that all the 11 patients admitted in the hospital are recovering. “The condition of three patients admitted in two Jammu hospitals and another patient admitted in PGI Chandigarh is also stable”.
He said they are being given continuous infusion of atropine, which is used to increase heart rate and antidote for organophosphorus poison, to treat the patients.
“After use of atropine, the sudden dip in consciousness level of patients has stopped and they are recovering,” he said.
Asked how they zeroed-in on atropine, Dr Bhata said, “We compared the treatments given to those patients, who died and who recovered. After comparative study, we found that doctors had given atropine to two patients in December and both had survived and recovered.”
Only after the comparative study found, “we decided to give atropine to all the patients suffering from mysterious illness,” he said.
Dr Bhatia said the patient namely Aijaz Ahmad, who was shifted to PGI Chandigarh few days back and whose condition is stable now, was also given atropine at the GMC Rajouri.