Poudel opens dental hospital in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Oct. 1 (RSS): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home and Local Development Ramchandra Poudel inspected the People's Dental College and Hospital at Naya Bazar here today.

On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Poudel, signing the visitors' book kept there, said, "Lack of adequate health manpower is the chief reason why a large section of the Nepalese people are still not getting health facility.

"This college," he hoped, "will be able to produce necessary manpower to fill the gap."

Established nearly four years back, the college is the first dental college and hospital of Nepal. The first batch B.D.S. Training course is already through now. The college run B.D. S. Course for five years, it learnt.

Affiliated to the Tribhuvan University and certified by Nepal Medical Council, the dental college has at present eight doctors (with M.D.S. Degree) and 24 doctors (with B.D.S.).

The main founder and executive chairman of the college and hospital Prof. Tirtha Ratna Bajracharya said the hospital was set up to resolve the problem of dental health manpower shortage in Nepal as well as to make dental health services easily accessible to the people at a time when dental diseases were on the increase.

In Nepal, majority of the people seem to suffer from dental caries ( tooth decay) and gums diseases. The government has made a provision for the posting of one dentist at zonal hospitals, nevertheless there is shortage of dental expert at zonal hospitals. The need of the hour is to ensure availability of dental specialist at district level hospitals at present.

Director of the hospital Dr Harish Joshi stressed the need to constitute Nepal dental council and set up a dental division under the Ministry of health.

Nepal-India joint meet kicks off

Kathmandu, Oct. 1 (RSS): The three-day meeting of Nepal-India joint committee began here today.

The Indian side is headed by water resources secretary zafar hasan and the Nepalese side by water resources secretary bishwanath Sapkota.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the meeting will hold discussions on the inundation problem caused by the construction of a barrage in the Indian side of Nepal-India border in Banke district and similar other problems of inundation in other areas along the Indo-Nepal border.

This apart, talks will also be held on the tasks that should have been performed under the Mahakali Treaty, DPR of the Pancheswar Multi-Purpose Project, other relevant issues concerning water resources including Saptakoshi Multi-Purpose Project and the implementation status of the Koshi and Gandaki agreements.

Welcoming the Indian delegation at the meeting, water resources secretary Bishwanath Sapkota stated that water resources should be developed in areas such as hydropower, irrigation, river control and the like on the basis of down stream benefit Nepal is entitled to.

He said that construction of the structures close to the border areas should be on the basis of good neighborliness, international norms and mutual interest.

Indian water resources secretary Hasan stated that the government of India was willing to harness the water resources in Nepal on the basis of mutual understanding and trust.

He noted that problems concerning water resources between the two countries should be resolved on the basis of mutual friendship.

A decision to constitute a secretary level joint committee was taken during the visit of the Prime Minister to India from July 31 to August 6, 2000.

The committee will boost mutual cooperation in the field of water resources, ensure the implementation of the treaties and agreements, take initiative in resolving the problems encountered in the implementation and monitoring of the activities of various technical committees.