Take Decisive Steps

GIVING a run-down on how the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has progressed since Nepal took over the chairmanship of the seven-member combine early this year, Prime Minister and current Chairman of the regional body Sher Bahadur Deuba sought Wednesday to set the tone for the SAARC Council of Minister's meeting. Inaugurating the gathering, he told the ministers and delegates that decisive steps had to be made a forward movement in the area of economic cooperation. The 11th SAARC summit in Kathmandu had agreed to a long-term vision of South Asian Economic Union in order to fulfil the shared aspirations of the peoples in the region for a more prosperous South Asia through the acceleration of negotiations on the fourth round of SAPTA and the conclusion of the SAFTA treaty framework by the end of this year. Those observing the SAARC movement cannot but fail to notice that despite the indispensability of the South Asian nations coming together economically in this increasingly globalised world, the movement forward in this respect is not exactly speedy. Thus the prime minister's urging to the meeting must be seen as Nepal's fervent desire to see the South Asian countries joining hands in an economic alliance so that the region can grow prosperous together. Indeed, without economic benefits accuring from the SAARC vehicle to the teeming tens of millions of South Asians, most of who live in penury, the objectives and principles of the SAARC remain far from fulfilled. We should concentrate on doable programmes, the prime minister declared, and on their effective implementation so that the results become tangible and meaningful.

Implementing SAARC economic programmes must be considered doable. With a good SAFTA treaty, all countries in the region could benefit from trading with each other. But we need to move faster on creating SAFTA and the seven countries must be equally enthusiastic about it and cooperate closely to make it a reality. South Asian Economic Union must not remain only thing far-off in the future. When countries in other regions could come together in such a union, there is no reason why the seven countries, where one-fifth of the humanity resides, should not be able to construct it. Guided as he must have been by these sentiments that Prime Minister Deuba chose to consider the promotion of free trade area as one of the three core areas-the other two being eradication of poverty and social upliftment-where SAARC had to focus on, if it is to be faithful to its principles and objectives. Nepal hopes the seven countries cooperate strongly on this vital area which has the potentials of directly benefiting the South Asian masses.

Boon For Eye Patients

A NEW technology for the surgical operation of cataract has been introduced for the first time in Nepal. The 'Phaeco-emulsification' method that is already in practice in the developed countries comes as a great relief to the cataract patients in Nepal. In this country, 70 per cent of blindness is caused by cataract, a major cause of blindness especially in the old age. The treatment process involves a short ten-minute operation: the surgeons pierce the cataract, break it into pieces and then take them out one by one. This is followed by the insertion into the hole of a soft lens that costs nine thousand rupees. The Nepal Eye Hospital (NEH) introduced the latest technology with the help of Israeli doctors, who were invited to Nepal at the initiative of Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Avraham Nir. The Hospital, in association with Nepal Opthalmic Society and Israel's MASHAV Cooperation, also organised a weeklong practical training and demonstration for Nepalese eye surgeons recently in Kathmandu. During the session, the Israeli surgeons carried out such operation on forty-eight eye patients and donated 100 lenses, of which 50 were provided to the patients free of cost. Besides, Israel has provided the NEH with sophisticated medical equipment for the purpose. The doctors at the hospital said that they would conduct further training programmes for more Nepalese eye experts so that they could be mobilised across the country to relieve the blind of their lives of eternal darkness. All the individuals and organisations involved in bringing the treatment to Nepal, including the Israeli eye specialists, the Israeli Embassy, Ambassdor Nir, Nepalese doctors and the NEH deserve a pat on their back for what they have done.

Given the economic status of the majority of the people in Nepal, it seems that the amount required for the lens is beyond their reach. Those who have difficulty in affording the cost of the lenses would be relieved in the true sense of the word if their costs were brought down as much as possible or provided free of cost after evaluating the economic status of the patients. It is expected that the concerned authorities will give due consideration to this point.