Trickle of Nepali workers from Gulf begins
By Sameer Ghimire
KATHMANDU, March 20 : With US-led forces attacking Iraq early
this morning, Nepalis working in Gulf have already started to make their way back home.
Over 40 Nepali workers in the Gulf arrived today in the capital, fleeing from a
war-ravaged region.
The Nepali returnees from Gulf, who arrived today by Gulf Air
and Qatar Airways, said that their quick trip home was made possible by initiation of the
local government, various international organisations and the Nepali embassy as well. More
Nepali workers could flee the region as the war intensifies, especially if neighbouring
countries come under Iraqi attack.
"The easy getaway was made possible by effective
initiation by the local government and also support from the local embassy," said
Rajesh Aaley, a returnee from Saudi Arabia. "Our company also facilitated the
departure from Saudi Arabia," he added. Some of the well-known companies in Gulf are
returning passports of their workers for early trips back home, informed Aaley.
Various international organizations including International
Committee of Red Cross, United Nations’ High Commission for Refugees, International
Organisation for Migration are supporting large number of foreign workers in the Gulf
countries to return to their homeland.
The returnees informed that a number of companies - both in
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia - besides returning passports of their workers, have also allowed
"war holidays" for two to six months. "These companies have also assured to
take us back in our respective job positions again," said another returnee.
Likewise, Danda Pani Poudel, another returnee from Saudi
Arabia, said that the number of prospective Nepali returnees could be much more if the war
lasts longer than a week. "We decided to fly before the war really started. But there
is a large mass of Nepali workers - who want to come back as soon as war breaks out,"
added Poudel, who was working in Damam, Saudi Arabia.
The likely exodus of Nepali workers to other safer places
have increased since the missile attack on Kuwait by Iraq in response to the US campaign.
So far no one has been injured in the Iraqi attacks.
A Nepali in Kuwait City, Mitra Sijal, said over the phone,
"If this war takes a larger form- we may decide to move to Saudi Arabia." Most
Nepali workers are not frightened by the ongoing war as there is enough arrangement in
case of emergencies, informed Sijal. "But some newcomers want to move back with the
ongoing war," he added.
Saudi Arabia-based Nepali embassy has claimed to take various
pre-emptive steps to ensure that no Nepali suffers. "We have already arranged
emergency accommodation for our workers in case war breaks out in neighbouring Kuwait and
areas bordering Saudi Arabia and Iraq," Ramesh Prasad Khanal, acting Nepali
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia told The Kathmandu Post over the phone this evening.
"We even have decided to send a special team to Damam,
where emergency accommodation for over 5,000 Nepali workers has been arranged, " he
added. The special team of embassy officials is heading tomorrow for Damam, which is over
400 km from the area bordering Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
NOC allays fears of petro crunch
Post Report
KATHMANDU, March 20 : Fear of petroleum crisis gripped the
capital today after thousands of consumers queued for hours to buy kerosene and petrol
following the US attack on Iraq.
Office bearers of Nepal Petroleum Dealers Association (NPDA)
claimed that the total demand of kerosene and petrol soared by 40 per cent today with
consumers panicking over the fear of US-Iraq war affecting petroleum supply.
The NOC officials, meanwhile expressed surprise over the
artificial crisis seen in the market. "The NOC is maintaining a normal supply and
obtaining petroleum regularly from India. We have additional stock for a month," said
Rudra Bahadur Khadka, acting manager of the corporation, requesting people to maintain
patience.
"Moreover, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has
committed for maintaining a regular and smooth supply to the NOC," he said stressing
on the fact that Nepal imports oil from India and not directly from Gulf countries.
Moms sweep dust, leave behind sick babies
By Sangeeta Rijal
KATHMANDU, March 20 : Anita Deula, one of the around 1200
sweepers of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is sweeping the road with her baby on her
back, aware that she is exposing her baby to at least air and sound pollution which, the
doctors say, could have long-term health hazards.
Deula has no option but to strap her baby along, as her
husband also works and there is no one at home to look after the little one.
"I know that I and my kid have to suffer many health
problems, but there is no one to look after my baby," laments Deula. "In order
to run our family, both of us have to work."
Not only Deula, there are lots of other sweepers who carry
their child on their back while sweeping. They say that they don’t have proper place
to keep their baby. Despite the possible health risks, these moms have no alternative but
to carry their children while doing their job.
Sanu Maya Pode, another sweeper facing the same predicament
says, "Should I kill my baby without feeding?" Helplessness is apparent in her
statement.
According to Rita Pode, secretary of Sweepers’ Union,
the sweepers have to work from a very young age due to poverty, so they can’t afford
to go to school. Lack of education and awareness has ensured that most of these mothers
are unaware of the health hazards for their children.
According to doctors, these children, who mostly spend their
time in dusty environs, suffer from respiratory diseases like asthma, pneumonia or other
various allergy types.
Dr Prakash Tiwari from Kanti Children Hospital says that
children’s respiratory tract is very small as compared to adults because of which a
lot of dust sticks in their respiratory organs. Consequently, their breathing vein
contracts, thereby leading to malnutrition and stunted growth. "When they suffer from
malnutrition, other communicable diseases also attack them."
Similarly, Dr Baburam Gautam from Public Health Department of
KMC says that such babies also become victims of skin diseases, breast, liver and stomach
problems. He reveals that since the sweepers do not know about solid waste handling, lack
of proper sanitation method affects their babies. He said that there are 18 urban health
centres for them but rues that mothers do not visit them when necessary.
Gautam also informed that they are going to start special
camps in various wards where chest physicians will attend to babies and their mothers.
The KMC chief also acknowledged that the mothers do not visit
the clinics despite "cheap fees". "We have arranged health clinics in
different wards, it’s not expensive. They just have to pay Rs 10 for entry and Rs
five for a check-up. Even then they don’t show interest," reveals Surya Saran
Regmi, chief executive of the municipal body.
Regmi adds that the KMC is providing different health
training to make the sweepers aware of the health hazards.
He also says the sweepers are careless themselves. The KMC
has given the workers dresses and masks but they rarely wear them. "Firstly, it
directly affects their babies whom they carry on their backs, because they directly feed
milk to babies, wearing the same dirt-soiled dress without washing hands."
Some of the sweepers are not even employees of the municipal
body. Regmi revealed all female sweepers carrying babies are not staff of the
municipality. "Sometimes they come in place of their husbands who probably work
somewhere else." A ray of hope for Deula and other sweepers like her could be in the
offing. Now there are possibilities to see them without babies on their backs, thanks to
the municipality’s upcoming day care centre. "I have heard of day care centre
and I hope it will be operational soon," said Tuyu Mai one of the sweepers who works
around Exhibition Road. The Kathmandu Valley Mapping Programme (KVMP) has opened a
child-day-care-centre, where 90 babies of 600 sweepers will be looked after, while their
mothers are away. There is a garden as well.
The KVMP has invested around Rs 26 million for the centre,
say officials. Most children carried by mothers are not over three years. Keeping this in
mind municipality has arranged this day care centre, where babies upto three years will be
looked after everyday, from six to nine am and from one to four pm.
Soni Shrestha, Public Relation Officer of the KVMP said the
care centre would become operational by the end of this month.
Hi-tech Gamma Imaging for detection of
diseases soon
Post Report
KATHMANDU, March 20 : For the first time in Nepal’s
medical history, the latest technology of Single-photon Emission Computed Tomography
(SPECT) Gamma Camera Imaging will be available to the public. Gamma Camera Imaging uses
traces of radioactive materials to take images of different organs in the body.
As the Metro Radiology and Imaging (MRI) Centre finishes the
final touches in the setting up of the SPECT laboratory, which is to begin its services
from Monday, next week, this will clearly be a giant leap in perfecting the imaging of
body organs with precision in Nepal.
"The services of the gamma camera is furthermore
available in only a few centres in South Asia," said Prof. Dr. A.K Basu, Head of
Nuclear Medicine, MRI. "Nuclear imaging enhances the accuracy of clinical diagnosis
ultimately leading to better prediction of disease."
Prof Basu had worked at the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) for the past thirty-five years. He worked at the Bir Hospital between
1987 and 1991 as part of the Indian Assistance Programme. He also worked as an expert of
the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This type of radiological imaging of the body - the latest as
compared to CT scans or an x-ray - is possible by introducing radio pharmaceuticals or
radioactive substances into the body through an injection. The substance, which emits rays
will travel specifically to the organ that is to be checked, and with the aid of a
computer software.
The concentration and amount of the radio pharmaceutical is
dependent on the function of the organ concerned for example while performing a bone scan
less amount of radioactive substance is injected as compared to a heart scan.
"Almost all organs in the body can be visualised by
Gamma Camera Imaging," added Prof Basu. Some of the facilities include scan of the
brain, skeletal system, lungs, renal section, liver, gall bladder and myocardial section
(heart). Gamma Imaging also enables to capture the beating of the heart - also for the
first time in Nepal - which is not possible with other radiology related scans.
"Gamma imaging can help find out the cause of pain in,
for example, bones, chest or the abdomen," he said. "It can be used to measure
how well the heart pumps and how well the kidneys are functioning. It can detect infection
in the bowels and problems with the blood supply to the lungs."
"It is also worth noting that Gamma Camera Imaging
despite using radioisotopes is not harmful to health and free from harmful
radiation," said Prof Basu.
MRI is set to give this service at an affordable cost to the
public. Working close with the hospitals such as Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University
Teaching Hospital, it plans to provide the public with the latest in disease diagnosis.
Moreover, MRI will also help those people who cannot afford
the high expenses of this technology with financial support as well as in some cases free
service.
Kin of Nepalis Gulf workers implore them to
return back
By Pratap Bista
HETAUDA, March 20 : After the US-led allied forces began
attacking Iraq, family members of those working in the various Gulf countries have asked
them to return home soon amidst growing fears for their safety.
Over one hundred thousand Nepalis have been working in the
Gulf countries. But it could not be immediately verified how many people have gone there
from Makwanpur district. Overseas employment is one of the major sources of national
income.
Relatives of the people employed in the Gulf countries were
desperate to establish contact with them from several telephone booths here throughout the
day, after the US attacked Iraq this morning.
Sumitra Dahal, wife of Manoj Dahal of Am Bhanjyang VDC,
phoned her husband who has been working in Kuwait since the last four months. Her husband
had paid Rs 1,20,000 to a manpower company to go to the oil-rich country. "I am very
much worried about my husband following the outbreak of war," lamented Sumitra, who
got married about a month ago.
She said that her neighbours whose near and dear ones have
been working in the Middle East also made telephone calls to them to know about their
safety. They said they could not be assured despite the fact that the Nepalese Embassies
and consular offices in various countries in the Gulf have made safety arrangements for
the Nepali nationals.
Prem Bahadur Moktan from a remote village of Kakada VDC,
today arrived here to contact his brother working in Kuwait, who had gone there about a
month ago, after paying Rs 1,50,000 to a local manpower agency.
Manohar Dhakal, an employee of Galaxy Communication Centre
said that several persons have started making contacts with their relatives working in the
Gulf since yesterday.
NC urges Speaker to call meeting of
erstwhile MPs
KATHMANDU, March 20 (PR) - Members of Nepali Congress (NC)
Central Working Committee (CWC) today urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives to
call a meeting of the members of the dissolved House to discuss ways to reactivate the
present constitution.
During the CWC meeting at the party central office Thursday,
some of the influential members in the committee urged Tara Nath Ranabhat, the Speaker and
CWC member of the party, to call the meeting immediately and discuss current political
development including the legal grounds for revival of the House.
Though the discussions did not lead to a formal decision, the
Speaker said he would discuss the matter with law experts before calling the meeting. He
assured the party that he would hold the meeting at least in the forum of ex-MPs’
Club. However, Ranabhat talking to The Kathmandu Post said that he was yet to be convinced
to call the meeting of the members of the dissolved House.
