Originally published October 21 2005
Bengalis losing faith in the quality of their medical system
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
North Bengal Medical College and Hospital has experienced some difficulty in diagnosing malaria and citizens of Nepania Bustee are beginning to doubt the hospital's ability to help the infected.
Even as one more person from Naxalbari block died today of malaria at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, residents of Nepania Bustee appeared to have lost faith in the laboratory testing capabilities of both the rural hospital and the private clinics.
They cite several cases where blood tests conducted there on persons with fever did not yield malarial parasites, but when tested a few days later at health centres in neighbouring Nepal or in Siliguri, they were diagnosed P.falciparum positive.
This, the residents allege, is leading to wrong or delayed treatment and even death of the patient.
Six days later, a test conducted at Anandaloke Sonoscan Centre in Siliguri found her severely infected with P. falciparum, the parasite that causes the fatal malignant malaria.
The test was carried out four days later and there I was found positive for malignant malaria.
Megraj Sharma (31) related a similar experience.
There are at least four others who have gone through similar ordeals but have been fortunate to get the right treatment in the nick of time.
Experts point out that it is not guaranteed that malarial parasites will be found in the first test itself.
"It depends on the concentration of parasites at the time the blood test is done," says Prof. Amitava Nandi of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine.
"We have to conduct over 200 tests a day now, and are sending some of the backlog of slides to NBMCH, which is returning the reports the next day," said hospital superintendent A. Dutta.
Meanwhile, a six-member team from the state health department in Calcutta has arrived to carry out an entomological survey of the vector responsible for the spread of malaria.
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