Measles is reported to have broken out in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, with 19 children falling seriously ill. A senior police officer said two children at Sangarwani village in Pulwama District in south Kashmir died of measles, a highly infectious disease that has assumed epidemic proportions in the area.
As the area is snowbound and there is no healthcare available in Sangarwani, some residents informed the police only two days ago about the outbreak of measles. Senior police officers rushed a team of doctors with medicines on Eid (Jan 11) to treat the sick in Sangarwani.‘While 50 children were treated in the village by the doctors, 19 seriously sick children were shifted to the Srinagar Children's Hospital today (13 January 2006),’ said a police officer. The team of doctors had to walk to reach the village. We had no choice but to shift the children as the disease has assumed dangerous dimensions.
‘The children are now being treated in Srinagar while we have posted a team of doctors in Sangarwani to treat other sick people. The condition of the most of the sick is still serious,’ the officer said.
Edited IANS
