At an interaction with representatives of major donor agencies in Nepal, Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Sudha Sharma informed that a relief package is being proposed on a short, mid and long-term basis to deal with the current epidemic of crisis proportions in the two regions and mitigate the hardship faced by the poor of those regions every year.
“The immediate plan is to speed up medical supplies to the epidemic-hit districts including Surkhet, Jajarkot and Rukum and send trained manpower to stop the spread of disease,” Dr Sharma said. She further said that the only way to stop the epidemic is to raise awareness and speed up programs for the improvement of sanitation and hygiene. “Since major epidemics are caused by water-borne diseases, we must look to constructing toilets and help take preventive measures,” Sharma added.
At the program organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday, Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya stressed on a “comprehensive approach to the long-term resolution of the problem”. He informed that the government will initiate a “coordinated approach” with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, MoFA., MoHP, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and NGOs and INGOs to make the relief program effective.
The government has also requested donor agencies to contribute to the welfare of children orphaned by the epidemic.
The donors, on their part, together requested the government to be “specific” about the kind of support it is seeking from them. The donor community on Saturday made a similar request at their meeting with the prime minister.
Conflicting death tolls
The Ministry of Health has said that the latest death toll from the epidemic in the mid and far western regions has reached 188 with 136 deaths in Jajarkot and 36 in Rukum, contrary to the claims of local health workers. According to Rajiv Shah, who helped mobilize support in Jajarkot, the number of deaths is 167 in Jajarkot alone as per data collected from 30 VDCs by 16 different police posts.
“The real figure will actually never come out as we will never have records of those dying in their homes,” Shah told Republica. According to him, the real problem is with the “logistic and delivery mechanism.” He added that even donors prefer to work in the Tarai due to easy availability of infrastructure like roads. “The donors have neglected these regions because of the harsh working conditions. Except for 70 Red Cross volunteers, no international agency has stationed volunteers in Jajarkot,” Shah complained.
Moreover, he informed that in the absence of trained manpower, the volunteers are themselves falling sick and have “added to the burden.” He said more helping hands are needed to carry the sick to the health posts.
Meanwhile, MoHP has claimed that media reports on the death toll have been exaggerated. Claiming that there is adequate supply of medicines and an adequate number government employees at hand, Dr Sharma said, “New camps have been set up and the government is monitoring their services.”
She informed that the prime minister spoke with all three doctors based in Surkhet, Jajarkot and Rukum on Monday. “They all said that the supplies are enough.”
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