# 1477
A disturbing narrative from the reporters on the scene in West Bengal. Embedded 2/3rds down this report we get this somber description:
When The Indian Express visited the Margram primary health centre, only a few staff members were present and they had no idea about the flu or the threat. The centre, the nearest health facility for villagers, had no stocks of the Tamiflu drug. Nor was there any protective gear for the staff.
“We have heard about the bird flu outbreak but there has been no official communication. No material or medicine has reached the centre,” said Sovarani Das, the nurse on duty.
In the village, it was the same picture of ignorance — children played next to the dead birds. Two children, who feasted on dead birds 10 days ago, are ill and a health team, led by the Block Medical Officer of Health, visited the Malibagan Para.
Follow the link to read the entire article. A Hat Tip to Carol@SC on the Wiki for posting this article.
Still clueless at Ground Zero as bird flu spreads in Bengal
Ravik Bhattacharya
Posted online: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 0042 hrs
MARGRAM (WB), JAN 15: With the Centre today confirming the outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in two districts of West Bengal, the Health Ministry sent two more teams to the affected areas while the state government formed 60 rapid response teams to meet the challenge as the flu spread to new areas.
Dilip Das, West Bengal’s Director, Animal Resources Development Department, said the culling of birds would begin tomorrow. In Birbhum district, an estimated 350,000 birds would be killed while in South Dinajpur, culling would take place in a five km radius and some 25,000 birds would be destroyed.
Specially trained teams would dig up pits where villagers would be told to throw the birds and collect receipts for the losses sustained. The government has announced Rs 1 crore compensation for Birbhum residents and Rs 26 lakh for South Dinajpur. Locals will be told not to rear poultry for the next six months.
Officials said this outbreak was different from the earlier ones in the country because the affected birds were the domestic, country-bred variety. They said the outbreak source pointed to neighbouring Bangladesh. Cross-border traffic is rampant at Margram and Balurghat in South Dinajpur and people routinely carry livestock.
