Tamiflu is a rare commodity here, and if one hopes to get a dose of it he or she will be left disappointed as neither the health centres nor private medicine shops have a stock of the much sought after drug.

In such a situation the official ‘door to door’ health survey that was launched by the government with a great fanfare in the wake of the bird flu outbreak seems no less than a mockery. Most of the health workers who had been hopping from one house to another looking out for any flu symptoms have quit the exercise. Their complaint is simple: “We have not received the promised daily wage despite working for the last three days.”

So, why has the administration not paid them? The answer lies in the fact that the district administration is yet to pass the budget.

When asked about the unavailability of Tamiflu at the government health centres, the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Birbhum, Sunil Kumar Bhowmik, had this to say: “At present we are giving Tamiflu only to Animal Resources Department staff and health surveyors, who are visiting the villages.” He does not stop there and goes on to say, “There is nothing to worry as this disease rarely affects humans.” Regarding the issue of health surveyors not being paid, Bhowmick admitted, “There was a problem with their allowance, but this was due to bureaucratic tangles.”

On a daily basis, around 120 patients visit the Margram Primary health centre’s Out Patients’ Department (OPD), of whom 80 to 90 complained of fever — one of the symptoms of bird flu. At the Bosua Block Primary Health Centre, 220 patients visit the OPD daily and the number of patients having fever lies between 150 to 170.

Yet in both the health centres, which are the only government run health care facilities in the area, Tamiflu is nowhere to be found. The medicine that costs Rs 852 for a pack of 10 is also not found at private medicine shops in the affected zone.

At Margram Primary Center, the pharmacists hand out antibiotics and syrups and send the patients back home. “What can we do? Many are coming here with high fever. All the doctors are busy at the bird flu control room at the BDO’s office. We had asked for Tamiflu, but authorities declined the request. Therefore, we are treating patients for simple fever with common drugs,” said Radharani Das, a nurse at the centre.

At Margram, which is the epicentre of the bird flu outbreak, people are flocking to quacks for treatment of fever, whose earnings have gone up. There are around 40 quacks in Margram 1 and 2 gram panchayat area.

“Many are coming with fever. We give them normal antibiotics and painkillers. Some of them have seven days of high fever. Those whom we consider serious are sent to the primary health centres. Business is good now,” said Manik Das, a commerce graduate, who has his own pharmacy. He claims treating people for the past 12 years.

Anisur Rehman, State Animal Resource Development Minister, meanwhile, visited the affected areas.

He held a meeting with ARD officials, district administration and health officials at Suri. Some villagers in Bishnupur also complained of low compensation for their bird stocks.

At a press conference, he admitted that the culling operations are not going in a satisfactory manner. “We have decided to increase the present team strength from 60 to 100 tomorrow, covering all affected areas. The problem is spreading and we are doing our best,” the minister said.

“There are high chances that the flu came from Bangaldesh. There was an alert issued from Bangladesh, which is reeling under the flu,” he added.

Stating that a lot needs to be done to fulfil the emergency health requirements, the minister said, “Lakhs of birds may have died of the disease, but not a single human infection has been found.”