Though Bihar has sounded a red alert across the state to deal with possible Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome cases, lack of basic facilities to test the presence of the deadly virus in suspects will prove to be a major stumbling block in tackling the menace.

A top Bihar health department source told rediff.com, "There is no laboratory to either isolate or perform culture test for the SARS virus, we have no option except to send blood samples to institutes outside the state." None of the six medical colleges, including the prestigious Patna Medical College and Hospital, have the laboratory facilities for the pathological test of suspected SARS samples.

"It is really a shocking situation considering that a state like Bihar receives large number of tourists," said former head of medicine department, PMCH, Dr Gauri Shankar Singh.

In such a scenario medical experts fear that in case SARS virus enters Bihar there is every possibility that it may take an epidemic form. The SARS virus spreads through human fluid droplets and needs sophisticated isolated wards to check it.

Bihar had announced a red alert in the beginning of the week keeping in mind the tourist arrivals from abroad, particularly from Asian nations under the grip of the disease. All medical officers, including civil surgeons, were directed to take precautionary measures and remain on alert.

But the entire state government machinery, including the Bihar Health Minister Shakuni Choudhary and his department officials, are busy arranging for the rally of Bihar strongman Laloo Prasad Yadav on April 30. "Neither the health minister nor his department officials have time to think about SARS," opposition leaders said.

Choudhary, however, told rediff.com that there was no need for panic. He admitted the lack of test facilities in Bihar. Despite the admission, on paper all medical colleges and hospitals have been asked to arrange special wards to treat suspected SARS patients.

Early this month a lot panic set in the state as the people feared that the disease might have crept in with foreign tourists, mainly Thais, visiting the sacred Buddhist site of Bodh Gaya. Thailand is one of the nations badly affected by SARS. In fact the Gaya civil surgeon has been directed to take extra care while screening passengers coming from Bangkok.

Experts said the spread of the virus in Gaya, 100 km from Patna, could not be ruled out, though there have been no reports yet of people displaying the symptoms of SARS.

The disease has claimed nearly 200 victims worldwide this year. A large number of visitors have landed at the Gaya International Airport since the outbreak of the disease in East and Southeast Asia.

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