KATHMANDU: The Hepatitis E, Jaundice, epidemic outbreak in Biratnagar area of Morang district has continued to spread as the number of people receiving treatment for the disease crossed over one thousand. The increase in numbers of infected have thrown hospitals out of capacity and are forced to treat victims on the floor.
The District Public Health Office’s data claimed that the district has recorded 1183 incidents of Hepatitis E infected patients of which 17 are being treated in hospitals and 9 have lost their lives to the disease.
Efforts made by concerned authorities have failed to prevent the disease from spreading and efforts have been put to identify the cause of the outbreak.
Commenting on the efforts made to avert the disease from increasing, DPHO Morang’s chief said that efforts have been made to call on citizens for drinking boiled water and hygienic food.
Meanwhile, a Chief District Officer Ganesh Raj Karki led investigation team has started investigation in finding the cause behind the infiltration of the Coliform bacteria- a bacteria that is found in human excreta- in the drinking water system. As part of the investigation the team has inspected drainage system of some big hotels in the town and have figured out that the sewerage pipes and drinking water pipes were laid together.
A member of the team, Upendra Rai, Chief at the Regional Food Technology and Quality Control Office, said that ‘waste management system of the hotels has been terrific.”
Rai said that some hotels have been draining human waste and kitchen waste in the Municipalities drainage system without using any filtering process. Karki said that as the drinking water pipeline also run adjacent to the sewerage pipe, it might have infected the water.

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has denied that the possibility of one far west claiming that the Far West is an integral part of Nepal.

“This is itself part of Nepal. It is not about making a state out of Nepal, Please don’t mind. But there can’t be ‘one-farwest'”
Stating that redrawing the boundaries and finding places for Kailali and Kanchanpur in it is an important task and suggested that both districts could be included within Seti and Mahakali by providing special rights to Tharus and Rana Tharus in it.

Speaking at a program organized in Dhangadi to mark the 30th General Assembly of Far West Transportation Association, Deuba said that three major political parties are executing their duty to draft the constitution within the agreed time frame.
He claimed that the constitution will be drafted, even if it is delayed by three or four months.

The disease broke out two weeks ago in the town. The cause of the disease is drinking polluted water and stale food, according to doctors.

Of the sick , 80 are in critical condition while 35 are receiving treatment in intensive care unit in different hospitals, it is learnt.

Meanwhile, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Mahesh Acharya today met with the patients and inquired about their health.

In the context of the Hepatitis E spread in the town, the Nepal Medical Association Koshi Zonal chapter organized an interaction programme today and urged the government to take immediate measures to address the problem.

Locals have started thronging the health centres, clinics and hospitals for check up these days fearing that they might have contracted the disease, but the Health Ministry has not paid proper attention to this serious problem, said Dr Dipak Sigdel at the Koshi Zonal Hospital.

Hepatitis E was found in 400 of the 500 people who visited the hospital and various nursing homes for undergoing tests in the last two weeks, he said. Dr Sigdel said the government has not provided any financial support for carrying out the tests.

During the discussion Chairman of the Association, Dr. Mahananda Mishra, said at least a member of each family in Biratnagar Sub-metropolis is affected and the situation might become complicated day by day if the Ministry of Health did not respond seriously in time and send special teams of health workers and doctors with necessary medicines, and adopt other preventing measures.

Dr. Kailash Shrestha, Dr. Tanka Barakoti, and Dr. Narayan Kumar, among others, stressed on providing free ICU services to prevent the situation from worsening. They said if the medical services were not provided to the affected patients, it may result in the loss of many lives.

Dr. Kumar claimed the data on the number of hepatitis E patients collected by District Public Health Office, Morang, was not accurate. The office has remained indifferent towards preventing the disease, he added.

Locals said though the drinking water distributed by Nepal Water Supply Corporation was proved to be unsafe and one of the causes behind this is pollution at the water source, the administration failed to take action against the guilty.

KATHMANDU: Minister for Urban Development Dr. Narayan Khadka has claimed that the new constitution will be promulgated even by resolving contentious issues through referendum, while speaking at the program organized by the Reporters Club Nepal on Wednesday.
The Minister said that though most of the contentions on constitutional issues have been resolved, he said that this time the constitution making process will be not taken hostage of consensus.

He said that the governemnt is committed to take all the contentious issues to ballot and let the people decide on such contentions. The minister said so while answering questions from journos on the action plan for resolving the longstanding contentions on federalism at the program presided by the Club’s President Rishi Dhamala.

On a different note, the Minister said that the nomination of 26 Constituent Assembly members has not been made due to the delay made by UCPN Maoist and the CPN UML. He said, “Nepali Congress has finalized its nominations. Once UML and UCPN Maoist finalize the list, list of the 26 members of the CA will be announced.”

Defending recent comments on the government’s action, Khadka said, ” rocket speed work cannot be expected within two months of formation of the government.” He argued that the Nepali Congress led coalition government has been moving ahead by taking all political parties into confidence and said that negotiations and discussions have been affecting the speed task execution.

Addressing the drinking water woes of Kathmanduities, Minister Khadka said that the Melamchi water will reach every water tap in the city by April 13, 2016.

A three point agreement was signed between the agitating doctors, supporting Dr KC and the OPMCM Secretary Krishna Hari Banskota.

As per the agreement a high level committee led by former dean of Institute of Medicine Ramesh Kant Adhikari will conduct a feasiblty study to provide autonomy to the Institute of Medicene (IoM).

The agreement has further agreed to appoint new dean of IoM on the basis of seniority, and lastly the government will formulate a policy paper on providing IoM affiliations to medical colleges.

Following the deal, Dr KC ended his fast by accepting fruit juice from Alisha Thapa, a seven-year-old patient at the TU Teaching Hospital.

Following the acceptance, Dr. KC has been recieving treatment at the ICU of the hospital and his health condition is reported to be improving.

Following the end of fasting, Nepal Medical Association (NMA) also withdrew its nation wide strike.

KATHMANDU:  Newly appointed Dean of the TUTH Dr. Shashi Sharma has denied to step down from his post during a meeting with the Chairman of Interim Council of Ministers, Khil Raj Regmi.

The meeting participated by Minister for Education Madhav Prasad Paudel and TU officials, was called after the Dr. Govinda KC led strike at the TU Teaching Hospital entered eighth day.

” I have been appointed as the Dean from a due bureaucratic process and will not step down unless my tenure concludes,” Sharma was quoted as saying to Regmi in response.

He further elaborated that trend of the hospital will be destroyed if demands of all individuals who sit in a hunger strike is taken into consideration.

“I won’t resign bowing down to such pressure,” Sharma said. Dr. Govinda had been on hunger strike claiming that Sharma’s appointment has been made by overriding seniority portfolio due to undue pressure from medical mafias who are looking forward to provide IOM affiliations to more colleges across the nation.

Conceding to Sharma’s stance, Minister Poudel also said that “the problem wont be resolved unless Dean Sharma steps down.” Talking to Nepali Reporter, Sharma said that he wont be resigning from the post by conceding to the pressure given by some individuals.  “I will only resign if the government demands for it through legal process, otherwise I won’t surrender.”

Meanwhile all the services at the TUTH remained affected and large number of patients thronging the hospital from various corner of the country had to return without treatment.

Nepal Media Association, Nepal Students Association has extended their support to Dr. Govinda KC’s 7-point demand. NMA has decided to stop its medical services in the all over of nation beyond Emergency.

He said that Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala should lead the government stating that Koirala is an honest, loyal and fair leader, while speaking at the program presided by the Club’s President Rishi Dhamala.

Backing his argument, Gajurel said that as President of the largest party in the parliament, Koirala should lead the proposed consensus government. He claimed that Koirala has capabilities to bring all parties in confidence to form a consensus government in his leadership.

However, Gajurel maintained that Nepali Congress should decide its prime ministerial candidate and said that his party will not engage in power game and will play constructive role by upholding to the ‘consensus principles’ for drafting the constitution within a year.

While stating that his party will remain in opposition, Gajurel added that his party could participate in the consensus government if premise for drafting the constitution are ensured.

Speaking at the same program, Nepali Congress (NC) leader Aananda Prasad Dhungana opined that Shushil Koiala is party’s consensual prime ministerial candidate for the consensus government. “ We won the CA election in Shushil Koirala’s leadership and he is our party’s’ single prime ministerial candidate.” He ruled out existence of any misunderstanding and disputes within the party on Koirala’s claim for the premiership.

He said that Koirala has been supported by senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and party’s Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel. He urged CPN UML and UCPN Maoist to participate in consensus government.

On a different note, Dhungana said that President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav should summon the first meeting of the new Constituent Assembly (CA).

CPN-UML Leader Dr. Banshidhar Mishra opined that as the largest party in the CA, Nepali Congress should lead the upcoming government. He said, “Nepali Congress should come up with a clear modality of consensus government,” adding that his party will participate in the Congress led government if it brings clear plans for constitution writing and agreeable form of power sharing.

Mishra insisted that New President should be selected on the basis of mandate given to the CA. He appreciated the positive role played by President Ram Baran Yadav, while stressing on the need to reset the political setup as per the new CA mandate and said that the process is also a part of the constitution drafting.  Mishra said that UCPN-Maoist should be participating in the upcoming government for the promulgation of Constitution within one year.

Terming the contribution to be exceptional, Regmi said he was ‘emotionally willing’ to observe PNS’s birthday (Paush 27) as national unity day while speaking to a delegation of Gorkha Samaj Sewa.

The delegates had requested to observe PNS’s birthday as a day of national unity.

“The incumbent government’s tenure is ending. Then also it will make this issues its priority,” while responding to their request.

Chairman Regmi said that all political parties were unison on the issue and stressed on the need to materialize the proposal at the earliest.

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala has begun talks with major political party leaders for leading the new government. Koirala held dialogues with senior leaders of both CPN UML and the UCPN Maoist in this regard after having several rounds of discussion on the same with his own senior party leaders.

Sources near Koirala confirmed that he will be holding talks with senior leaders of other fringe parties representing in the Constituent Assembly to discuss his candidacy to lead a consensus government. The leaders he will be discussing with today are CPN-ML’s General Secretary C.P. Mainali,Chairman of Samyukta Chandra Dev Joshi his office secretary, Laxman Dhakal, said.

Before the meeting with fringe party leaders, Koirala is scheduled to hold talks with his party’s senior leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Poudel on the same.

Kathmandu: Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav has said that the “Election Commission extended the deadline for submitting the name of PR candidates for the Constituent Assembly to promote the consensus political course adopted by the political parties.”

He said that the extension was made as part of the Four Point agreement reached between major political parties, while speaking an interaction organised by the Reporters’ Club Nepal in the Capital on Tuesday.

He said “The EC won’t extend the deadline again. This the last time for Political Parties.”

“I hope political parties will submit their PR candidates list within the new deadline,” while speaking at the program presided by the Club’s president Rishi Dhamala.

Election Commission has successfully concluded its task to hold the free, fair and independent election, he said adding that the Four-Point agreement has been historical understanding between parties to draft the new constitution.

He informed that so far 13 parties have submitted their list in Election Commission.