Bathinda, April 24
Ms Saroj (45), wife of Mr Jagdish Rai Sharma, who was admitted to the local Civil Hospital yesterday for having suffering from suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), was also admitted to the hospital late last night after she complained of high temperature and breathing problem.

Hospital sources said Ms Saroj was admitted as she was running a high temperature and showed the symptoms of SARS. The sources said the sputum samples of both Mr Sharma and Ms Saroj had been sent to the National Centre of Communicable Diseases (NCCD). The local Civil Hospital authorities had contacted the NCCD yesterday and informed it about the suspected case of SARS. The NCCD asked the local authorities to send the samples.

Dr S.K. Goyal, Civil Surgeon, said although the man and his wife did not have conditions laid down by the WHO in connection with SARS patients, the local Civil Hospital authorities did not want to take risk and were keeping them under observation in isolation wards.

He said the Director (Health), Punjab, and Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Verma, had been informed about the admission of Saroj in the hospital. A special team of medical specialists had been put on job for treating the patients.

He added that the Civil Hospital authorities were contemplating the fact that Mr Sharma and Ms Saroj were not a case of SARS as they had come from the area from where so far no case of SARS had been reported. He said they had not come in contact with any person coming from the foreign countries where SARS had originated or spread.

As per information gathered by TNS, Mr Sharma, who was a resident of Railway Colony in the town, along with his wife went to Mehidipur in 

Rajasthan on April 19 to perform a “yajana” at the dera of his guru.

Mr Sharma came back from Mehidipur yesterday morning. Mr Sharma felt that he had been running a temperature in the train and was admitted to Railway Hospital. The doctors at Railway Hospital referred him to Civil Hospital yesterday morning.

Ms Saroj complained of high temperature last night. She was also having severe cough and irritation in her throat and chest like her husband.

Mr Sharma travelled to Bhiwani by train. From Bhiwani he went to Bandi Khui by the Jaipur-Amritsar Express train. From there, he went to Mehidipur by jeep. He stayed there for three days and performed “yajana” on April 21 at the dera.

While talking to TNS, he said during his pilgrimage he never came to contact with any foreign national. He was feeling well during his stay at the dera. He felt that he was suffering from fever when he was returning in the train. He said his guru also showed the same symptoms.

AMRITSAR: Panic buttons were pressed when Mr Partap Singh Arora (65), a resident of the Jaura Phatak area, who was admitted to the local Kakkar Hospital with high fever complained of SARS-like symptoms.