12 deaths in village 15 days, but residents won’t take a Covid test

BHABHATA/HARPUR (West Champaran)

At least 12 people have died in last fortnight, almost all having Covid-like symptoms, in a village in West Champaran district, although these may not be recorded as Covid deaths since they didn’t get tested, either because of lack of facility or because of reluctance by villagers.

The village in question, Bhabhata in Narkatiaganj block, is located 25 km from Bettiah, the headquarter town of West Champaran district.

Badrey Alam, one of the residents, is yet to come to terms with the death his mother Rehan Khatoon (60) on May 8. “She picked up fever on May 6. Medicines were administered by a local doctor but her oxygen level plummeted drastically two days later before she collapsed,” said Badrey Alam.

On the same day, Rafique Ahmad (70), Rehan Khatoon’s neighbour, died following bouts of breathlessness accompanied by fever and coughing, said his son Zakir Hussain.

Earlier, Radha Saha (69) collapsed after bouts of fever and loose motion on May 5.

Later, a medical team reached the village and detected four Covid positive cases in Alam’s family and one in deceased Rafique Ahmad’s.

Navin Prasad, village head of Bhabhata panchayat, said at least 12 people, including two children, had died in a fortnight. “After the medical team detected eight Covid cases and quarantined them at home, villagers even with symptoms have refused to undergo tests,” he said.

“Even the family members of some of the deceased got angry and refused to go for testing on one pretext or other. As a result, just 50 people could be tested during our two visits,” said Ravi Shankar Singh, health manager, Narkatiaganj subdivision.

Asked why thhis reluctance, one of the villagers, Mahtab Alam, shot back, ““Why rule out? Let this be for all at one go.”

Elsewhere in the district, villagers say they don’t have access to testing or vaccination. “No camp has ever organised in our village to administer vaccine. We are simply unaware where to go for vaccination,” said Maqsood Alam of Bakhari village, located 7 km from Narkatiaganj.

On the other hand, Brij Ram, a resident of Harpur village in the same area, fears harm from vaccination.

When contacted, Sahila Heer, subdivisional magistrate (SDM), Narkatiaganj, conceded poor response for testing in some pockets. “So far as vaccination is concerned, we are administering the same nearly 100% as per the availability of the doses. But then, the villagers must reach the centre for vaccination,” Heer said.

According to official records, as many as 6,54,797 tests have been conducted for Covid-19 in West Champaran, of which 16,711 have been detected positive so far. “We are compiling records of tests per block also,” said Dr. Arun Kumar Sinha.

A total of 232,829 vaccination shot have been administered in the district so far, as per officials.

Meanwhile, the district administration has pressed 1,428 teams comprising Asha workers, sevika and observers to collect micro details from villages. “We have adopted two- pronged strategy, which includes door-to-door visit and telecommunication. While doctors at control rooms are taking stock of patients over phone, 1428 teams visited 12,780 and 17,460 houses on May 16 and 17 respectively to trace persons having symptoms of the disease,” said Kundan Kumar, district magistrate, West Champaran.

“This apart, two mobile testing teams are being run to do the testing in the containment zones,” said the DM.