Udhampur Pediatric Deaths: Toll rises to 10, as centre dispatches team

Jammu: A central team of experts has been deployed by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to visit J&K to investigate paediatric deaths due to unknown etiology, being reported from Block Ramnagar of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 10 children have died of a mysterious disease and six others taken seriously ill in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior officer.

"Our survey of the affected area revealed 10 children died due to the mysterious disease in the 40 kilometre radius in Ramnagar block. The symptoms of the disease are routine that include fever and vomiting followed by renal problem," Chief Medical Officer, Udhampur, KC Dogra said.

"Various teams of doctors from Jammu, Udhampur and block level are camping in the affected area and we are trying to ascertain the cause of the disease," Mr Dogra said.

The central team is assisting the J&K Health Department to investigate the cause of paediatric deaths and instituting requisite public health measures.

The team, upon completion of their activities, would submit a report to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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The visiting team comprises Specialist (Pediatrics) Safdarujing Hospital Sumit Mehndiratta; Deputy Director (Microbiology), National Center for Disease Control, Delhi Mahesh Waghmare; Assistant Director (Epidemiology) National Center for Disease Control, Delhi Suneet Kaur; Microbiologist, NIV, Pune Shilpa Tomar and Epidemiologist- NIV- Pune Avinash Deoshatwar.

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District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Piyush Singla had already directed the public health engineering department to collect samples of drinking water for laboratory testing and to ensure safe drinking water is provided to the public.

District health authorities have appealed to the public to not panic and consult doctors in nearby health institutions if there is any case having symptoms of fever, vomiting and low urine passage.