Two doctors have been posted round-the clock at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
Strictly speaking, it is not an epidemic. But encephalitis has killed 67 people in the last 16 days in seven districts of North Bengal. Patients are streaming in to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri because that is the only place equipped to detect encephalitis. At least 15 fever clinics have been set up in the last 48 hours for patients to report symptoms of the killer virus.
"The doctor told me to take my father to Jalpaiguri but I didn't have the time," cried Natubala Roy, a resident of Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. She lost her father to fever before she could take him to hospital.
Like Natubala's father, time has run out for 67 people in north Bengal, 21 of them succumbing to the more virulent Japanese encephalitis. At least 340 patients with symptoms are in various hospitals amid growing concern about potential victims in remote areas.
"For the villages and rural areas, we are setting up fever clinics in blocks where there have been many cases. We are also launching house to house fever search so that people can be brought to fever clinics or at least their blood samples," said Dr B Satpathy, Director, Health Services.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has asked for a report from his state counterpart, in this case chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Her minister in charge of north Bengal admits he is worried.
"I don't think this is an epidemic but the situation is alarming and we are controlling the system. We do hope that within two-three days, we will control the situation and we are working at the grass root level," said Goutam Deb, minister for north Bengal development.
But opposition leader Surya Kanta Mishra of the CPM, who visited the North Bengal Medical College Hospital today, said, "Given the cases and mortality of last year, there was a case to prevent and be better prepared."
Last year there were 385 cases of encephalitis in north Bengal and 115 deaths. This year, since January, 103 people have already lost their life to the virus. What is also alarming this year is 21 cases of the more virulent Japanese encephalitis have been detected against five last year.
Locals feel this should have alerted the government to do more for prevention and set up infrastructure to tackle the alarming outbreak that peaks in July-August.