Nishikant Khajuria
REASI, Dec 15: Mystery shrouded the death of two minor sisters because of an undiagnosed disease in a far-flung village Dhanour in tehsil Arnas of district Reasi thus prompting the District administration to be on alert and sending a special medical team to visit the hamlet for ascertaining the cause of death.
Even as the medical team, which visited the village today, failed to identify the disease, a minor cousin of the deceased sisters also developed symptoms of the same ailment and she was brought to District Hospital Reasi where doctors referred her to GMC Hospital Jammu.
However, reports said that owing to acute poverty, the family could not reach Jammu and they went back to their home in the remote village without informing anyone about the same.
Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Sagar Dattatray Doifode told the Excelsior that besides setting up of a special Medical Board to conduct postmortem of the two minors, he deputed a medical team to visit Danour village on Saturday and conduct an inspection among the people for symptoms of diphtheria disease (throat infection), which was stated to be apparent cause of death. However, he added, nothing of the sort was found and medical team has ruled out the possibility of diphtheria as cause of death.
According to Superintendent of District Hospital Reasi, Dr Pritam Singh Thakur, dead bodies the deceased sisters, identified as Ashruti Devi (8) and Asho Devi (5), daughters of Prem Chand of Danour village were brought at the hospital yesterday evening by the family members and a Police team, which had taken cognizance of the mysterious death of the two minors.
As SDM Thuroo also intimated about the mysterious death of two minor sisters, DC Reasi directed Chief Medical Officers Reasi to constitute a Board of Doctors for the postmortem in the presence of Magistrate.
A detailed postmortem of the dead bodies was conducted this morning by the Board of Doctors, comprising Dr Rakesh Raina (Physician), Dr Devinder (Gynecologist), Dr Rohit Chib (Child Specialist) and Casualty Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Sudesh Raina after which the bodies of the girls were handed over to their father for the last rites.
“Even as it is premature to say anything about the disease which caused the deaths but it was apparently not diphtheria,”said the hospital Superintendent adding that the samples were taken and anything about the exact cause of death could be said only the post-mortem reports was prepared.
Father of the deceased sisters said that his daughters fell sick a few days ago and their condition deteriorated ultimately leading to the deaths yesterday morning.
While the Medical team and District administration are still clueless about the cause of deaths, a cousin of the deceased sisters, identified as nine-year old Kanta Devi, daughter of Prem Chand’s brother, also developed the symptoms of similar ailment and was brought to DH Reasi this morning where doctors referred her to GMC Hospital Jammu.
However, because of acute poverty, family of this girl could not reach Jammu and they went back to home in the remote village without informing anyone about the same.
As no exact cause of deaths was ascertained so far, DC Reasi said that the medical team was carrying out a preventive vaccination drive for various life threatening diseases among the children in the village.
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