Kalimpong triggers Covid-19 fears in north Bengal hills after one family tested positive ....In the last few days, three families have faced the outcome of a fear psychosis among common people and even health workers and doctors.

(HT PHOTO)

Pramod Giri, HT, Apr 21, 2020, Siliguri: At least three families f have complained of facing discrimination when they sought treatment in different places in north Bengal. 

Weeks after a woman in Bengal’s Kalimpong district died of Covid-19 and 10 members of her family treated for the infection, people in the state’s hill region are acting under stress and fear.

In the last few days, Laxmi Ghatani, 70, Sujata Sherpa, 22 and Dishan Khati, an eight-year-old, have faced the outcome of a fear psychosis among common people and even health workers and doctors.

Kalimpong district has been declared coronavirus free after 10 members of the region’s only affected family, and a maid who worked for the family, tested negative after treatment. The family lost a 44-year-old woman member on March 30.

Although no new case has been reported in the district that shares its borders with Bhutan, Sikkim and Darjeeling, Kalimpong ‘s residents, especially those who are old and unwell, are facing discrimination.

Ghatani, a resident of Mungpoo in Darjeeling district, fell ill on Saturday and her family members took her to Rambi community block primary health centre the next day. The doctor referred her to Kalimpong district hospital but the health centre allegedly denied an ambulance. After much persuasion an ambulance took the patient up to Chitray, located 14 km away from Kalimpong. The patient was then taken to a Kalimpong hospital in a car provided by a social worker, Jyoti Karki. The old woman was admitted at 1 pm and she died at 8 pm on Sunday.

Bimal Ghatani, one of the sons of the deceased, said “Had we been able to admit her in Kalimpong hospital on time she might have survived. Precious hours were lost in search of an ambulance.”

Bimal, who is a carpenter, said “At Mungpoo, local people made it clear that those who took my mother to Kalimpong cannot return home. They have been told to stay in quarantine for 14 days.”

Dr C K Chettri, block medical officer of Rambi said “The family of Ghatani never sought the government ambulance.”

Jyoti Karki said, “People of Kalimpong are facing social discrimination in other areas.”

Last week, eight-year-old Dishan Khati, a resident of Tirpai in Kalimpong had fever, cough and signs of pneumonia. On April 15, a doctor in Kalimpong referred him to a private nursing home in Siliguri saying that all arrangements had been made and the nursing home was one of those authorized to treat Covid-19 patients.

Yasaka Khati, the child’s father who is a driver, said, “Though the government is saying that ambulance in cases like these will be provided free I was forced to take my son to Siliguri in my vehicle as the driver of a government ambulance demanded Rs 1500.”

“That was not all. The nursing home authorities refused to admit my son and even policemen did not help. We took my son to the state-run North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH). There, we had to wait for long hours before my son got admission. But we were not happy with the arrangements,” Khati said.

“On April 16, we took my son back to Kalimpong hospital. The boy is doing fine now,” said Khati.

On April 15, Sujata Sherpa, a pregnant woman from the Algarah area in Kalimpong was referred to a Siliguri hospital by the Kalimpong district hospital for an USG test. Sujata and her husband, Sangey Sherpa, went to Siliguri district hospital.

“The moment hospital staff came to know that we were from Kalimpong, they started behaving differently and told us to go to NBMCH at night. At NBMCH, the staff refused to get my wife admitted as she was bleeding. We were asked to return the next day. We were so helpless that we had to spend the night of April 15 in a church in Siliguri,” said Sherpa.

The USG was done the next day and the couple returned home with help from social workers.

(Courtesy, source and link - hindustan Times- https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kalimpong-triggers-covid-19-fears-in-north-bengal-hills-after-one-family-tested-positive/story-4dL7M6sevlFcLmtuOs8zbJ.html )