
SRINAGAR: With the improvement in the condition of all 11 patients of the mysterious illness admitted to the GMC Rajouri, doctors are considering tapering the doses of Atropine, the anti-poison medicine that has proven to be a game-changer in fighting the mysterious illness in Badal village of Jammu and Kashmir’s border district.
Principal of GMC Rajouri, Dr Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, told TNIE that the doctors at the hospital are now planning to reduce the Atropine doses for the patients.
"All 11 patients undergoing treatment at the hospital are now clinically stable after being administered Atropine, which is used to treat organophosphorus group poisons and increase heart rate," he said.
The 11 patients were admitted to the hospital on 20, 21, and 22 January.
"Now that their condition has improved and they are clinically stable, we are planning to taper the doses of Atropine under strict observation. The team of specialists will meet and re-examine the cases of the patients according to their condition, and we will make a decision on tapering the doses of Atropine," Dr Bhatia explained.
According to the principal of GMC Rajouri, after the use of Atropine, the sudden drop in consciousness levels of the patients has stopped, and they are recovering. "There has been 100% improvement in the condition of the patients after the use of Atropine, which has turned out to be a game-changer in this battle against an unknown enemy," he said.
"It indicates that there is poison related to organophosphorus, but it must be a new generation poison which is yet to be detected. Atropine has proven to be the cure. It is neutralising the toxicity," he added.
Seven people, including 13 children and four adults from three families who are related to each other, from Badal village have died from the mysterious illness over the past month. The disease had caused panic among the villagers, and after new cases emerged, the administration declared Badal village a containment zone last week and relocated about 300-400 villagers to government accommodation, where the administration is providing boarding and lodging facilities.
The GMC Rajouri principal stated that there have been no new cases of the mysterious illness in the past four days.
In another positive development, all three patients admitted to two hospitals in Jammu have recovered and will be transferred (step-down procedure) to GMC Rajouri, where they will be kept under medical observation for a few days before being discharged.
Another patient undergoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh is also recovering and will be transferred to GMC Jammu, where he will be kept under further observation before being moved (step-down) to GMC Rajouri.
Meanwhile, doctors are awaiting reports from health agencies to determine the cause of the mysterious illness in the village, which has caused fear among the villagers.