Focus on cancer prevention

CHITAWAN, July 24 (RSS)- The 3rd general meeting of Chitawan district unit of Nepal Cancer Relief Society (NCRS) was declared open by chairman of the BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital management committee Dhruba Prasad Sharma here recently.

On the occasion Sharma also inaugurated waiting room for patients built on the premises of the hospital.

Social worker of Narayangadh Bazaar Uttar Kumar Malla was felicitated by wrapping a shawl around him for the financial assistance of Rs 150,000 provided for construction of the waiting room.

Meanwhile another social worker Gauri Pradhan has donated Rs 200,000 for renovation of another dilapidated waiting room of the hospital.

Speaking on the occasion, NC district president Krishna Lal Sapkota, central vice president of the Nepal Cancer Relief Society Kapil Joshi, membe Bhanu Prakash Joshi, district vice-president of the society Laxmi Lamichane, social workers Uttar Kumar Malla and Gauri Pradhan threw light on ways of saving oneself from the dreaded disease of cancer.

At the function chaired by district president of the society Sashi Shrestha, founder secretary Badri Pokherel presented the annual progress report while treasurer Amrit Pradhan presented the income and expenditure report of the society.

The NCRS general meeting also constituted a 14-member NCRS district executive committee under the chairmanship of Badri Pokherel.

Jagadish Bhakta Joshi, Gyan Kumar Chuke, Ganesh Shekhar Sharma, Laxmi Lamichane, Bhanubhakta Subedi, Dr. Bhaktaman Shrestha, Sabitri Piya, Narayan Prasad Koirala, Tilakeswore Lamichane, Yuvaraj Aryal, Sudha Joshi, Prajapati Sapkota and Bodhnath Gautam have been elected members of the NCRS district executive committee.

SLC pass percentage dips in Sindhupalchowk

CHAUTARA, July 24 (RSS)- Students and parents have been engulfed in pessimism as very low percentage of students passed in Sindhupalchowk district in the SLC. examination of 2057 BS.

The pass percentage declined to 10.39 from last year’s 48 percent. Out of the 1,665 students attending the examinations from 54 secondary schools of the districts including those running from local resources as well as boarding schools, only 172 passed the examination in which 19 were in first division, 135 in second and 18 in third division.

The highest percentage or 40 percent is scored by the Siddhi Ganesh proposed secondary school Sano Sirubari running in local resource, whereas 32 schools including four higher secondary schools have passed less than 15 percent students. These schools will be alerted for the low pass percentage, the District Education Office Sindhupalchok said.

Similarly, the pass percentage of nine secondary schools including Jalapa Devi ( Bhotechaur), Sunkoshi (Karthali), Jhirpu (Fulpinkatti), Kalika (Tekanpur), Tripurasundari (Tauthali), Wachhaladevi (Ghumthang), Dharmodaya (Thulo Dhading), Saraswoti (Ramche) and Janata (Jyamire) have zero pass percentage.

‘Nepal- India Treaty 1950 should be democratized’

KATHMANDU, July 24 - Delivering a lecture today at a talk programme organized by Nepal Bar Council Professor of Midlesex University Law School, London Dr Surya P. Subedi said that the Nepal- India Peace and Friendship Treaty 1950 should be democratized in the changed context.

As both Nepal and India are the members of United Nations, SAARC and Non Alignment Movement and share common values therefor, the treaty could further be democratized as a basic treaty provided the two countries come up with some concrete programs , the professor further said.

Metaphorically speaking, Subedi described the treaty as ‘an old tiger with weaker teeth and nails, it has its generations and generations who want to keep it survive and the old tiger gets itself revitalized at a time of national crisis.’ By ‘generations and generations’ he intended to point out the Letter of Exchange of the Treaty , the treaty dealing about arms made in 1965 including the joint communiqué signed by erstwhile prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai during his visit to India.

Prof. Subedi was of the opinion that the treaty is not a strategic treaty, it is still a valid treaty though both Nepal and India have violated many of the provisions of the treaty , the original treaty has nothing to do with work permit as there is no express mention about ‘employment’ .

When crossed by lawyers and intellectuals he disclosed that many of the provisions of the treaty are obsolete and there wouldn’t be any impact at all if the treaty happens to be terminated by either party as many of the relations among nations are governed by international laws and customary laws. The only provision of treaty that could cause problem is Article 6 which requires both the nations to give national treatment to the nationals of other country ‘ with regard to participation in industrial and economic development’. Subedi concluded that India as a democratic country would have no reason to deny any concrete proposal put forth by Nepal regarding the review or democratization of the treaty.

Health centres turn into cowsheds

Post Report

JAJARKOT, July 24 - Many health centres and sub-health centres have been turned into cowsheds in the remote villages of this district due to lack of health manpower and medicines, former chairman of Talegaon VDC Tapta Bahadur Singh said.

There are 8 Ilaka level health centres and 32 sub-health centres in this district, but many of them are unable to provide general health service. Some VDCs which had financial resources constructed buildings for them while others gave a room in their offices to use it as sub-health centre but lack of manpower and medicines have rendered them useless.

In every Ilaka health post, there is a provision for appointing an AHW, a rural health worker, a nurse, a mother and child health worker and a trained health volunteer for every ward. However, all the health personnel except local ones hardly stay in the villages.

Even the local health workers come to the health post for the purpose of their attendance, Chairman of Sima VDC, Lal Bahadur Thapa told The Kathmandu Post.

The 15-bed district hospital built with the cooperation of the government of Netherlands did not have a single doctor for six years although there was provision for two doctors. Currently one doctor has been staying in this remote place continuously since last year.

Dr Ram Singh Tinkari who has been serving in this hospital complains that they are unable to use the available equipment due to lack of electricity and skilled manpower.

Stating that blood tests and pathology tests were being carried out in the hospital due to the appointment of some local health staff, Senior AHW of the hospital Ram Bahadur Chand said some improvements could be brought about in the hospital with the cooperation of the local people and their representatives.

The Department of Health services bus medicines for health institutions all over the country with the government resources and the foreign assistance and sends to different district through its regional medical store.

However, the medicines are seen lying in the district for months as there is problem of transportation due to financial constraints. Whatever medicines reach the health centres gradually, will be used up in 15 days if they are not distributed sparingly, Bhagawati Singh, AHW in Khargankot Dalli Ilaka Health Post told The Kathmandu Post.Although hundreds of thousands of rupees is spent for raising awareness level of the health workers every year in Jajarkot district programmes like expanded immunization, DOTS associated with tuberculosis, diarrhoea control and family planning contraceptives have not been carried out smoothly and effectively, social worker and district hospital development member Keshab Jung Shah told The Kathmandu Post.

Rapist caught red-handed yet released unpunished

Post Report

TEHRATHUM, July 24 - A dumb woman who has been raped repeatedly has been denied justice even when the rapist was arrested red-handed.

Villagers found a resident of Tamphula VDC ward no. 5, Ishwar Magar, raping the dumb woman, who is also mentally retarded, at her ruined shelter at local Myanglung Bazaar about two weeks ago. They caught him and handed him over to the police.

However, police said the culprit was released by them under pressure from the so-called social workers and politicians after keeping him in custody for 10 days.

As there was no one to speak in favour of the woman, the culprit was released on condition that he should take the responsibility of the women only if she is pregnant within 45 days. Otherwise, they have not deemed it necessary to punish him.

Holding her one-year-old son in her arms ( who was also born due to rape) she has been moving from door to door begging for justice and food in Myanglung bazaar. But her question "who will dispense justice to the dumb woman?" remains unanswered.

Advocate Khagendra Bohora is of the view that the rapists who have been repeatedly raping her and making her pregnant have been encouraged after the rapist arrested red-handed was released without any legal action and punishment.

The woman, 40, with Mongoloid face has so far given birth to three children as a result of rape. The first baby died due to malnutrition and the second one was killed by the rapists by hitting fatally in his eyes when he was able to move about, fearing that his face could resemble with his father and the criminal could be caught.

With her gestures she says she has been carrying her baby in her arms fearing that the criminals may kill her son again.

Local social worker and DDC member Chiranjibi Man Shrestha says some unscrupulous people were seen flocking at the open shelter around her at night and they installed a door and provided a lock for her safety. But the door could not protect her and they have continued to assault her after breaking the door, he added.

When guests turn looters

SYANGJA, July 24 (PR) - A woman who treated her unknown guests with great respect in accordance with the Nepalese tradition has been badly betrayed by her female guests.

Two unidentified women looted the gold ornaments, cash and valuable belongings from a house in Putalibazaar municipality-4 after they drugged the house owner before ransacking the house on Monday.

According to Syangja Police Office, the two unidentified women came to the house of Dhanu Parajuli, 25, at Putalibazaar-4 and requested her, in a very friendly manner, to allow them to pass the night in her house. They said they were coming after having a ‘darshan’ of Manakamana goddess in Gorkha. The women who had arrived there at about 7:30 p.m. told her that they belonged to Tanahun district.

When they arrived at her house, Dhanu Parajuli was wearing a gold chain of about 4 tolas in her neck, a ring in her finger and other gold ornament in her ears.

At night, the housewife slept on the ground and gave them her bed to sleep. Impressed by their friendly manner, she disclosed them that she was alone in her house and that her husband had gone to an Arab country to earn money.

Then the strangers made her senseless after administering a drug and looted all the gold ornaments which she was wearing and those kept in the box, cash and other valuables and left the house early in the morning on Tuesday, according to police.

Later in the morning, neighbours rushed Dhanu to district hospital for treatment and admitted her to the hospital. She regained her consciousness in the afternoon, according to her relatives.