At a time when malaria has started claiming lives in the state, the referral malaria clinic at School of Tropical Medicine in the city is facing an acute crisis of specialists. Officials of STM said the clinic's out patient department (OPD) has been hit hard owing to absence of any specialist. The OPD is in such since the noted malaria specialist, Dr Amitava Nandi, has retired from the STM in February. Now, only a few para-medical persons are attending patients in the outdoor. As a result, patients visiting the unit after being referred here are being denied of proper treatment, said officials. "Though patients admitted to the indoor of the hospital are getting proper treatment as there are few medical officers for indoor service but no specialist is there to take care of malaria patients at the OPD. Only a few para-medical staff are attending patients in the OPD," said an official. "As this is the referral malaria clinic in the state, people from every district visit here after being referred. But owing to lack of specialists, proper treatment could not be catered at the OPD," he added. When contacted, Dr Dhruba Niyogi, director of STM, said, "As a simple MBBS degree holder can provide treatment to malaria patients, we don't think malaria patients are being deprived of proper treatment.' He also denied that para medical staff manage the OPD. But officials of STM made it clear that no doctor attends malaria patients at the OPD. Only the para-medical staff collect the blood samples and if required patients are admitted to the hospital where they can get treatment as some medical officers are assigned to look after indoor patients.