Health Services To Terror Victims

EVEN during normal times, providing and receiving health services was a huge challenge here in Nepal. The absence of proper infrastructure to reach health services, the difficult terrain which created obstacles for both health workers and the ailing people and the poverty and lack of awareness among the common citizens, specially in rural areas, all factors could be blamed for such a situation. With the starting of terrorist activities for some years now, this undesirable situation has become worse. The terrorist activities have not only created an unfavourable environment to expand normal health care campaigns, but they have also created another type of problem by drastically increasing the number of bodily injured people. The Maoist terrorists have time and again perpetrated violent crimes against security personnel and the common people and it has become a challenge for the authorities to provide emergency services to those people who have suffered bullet wounds, khukuri attacks, severe beatings and other form of physical sufferings. Till now, most of those who were seriously injured, were ferried by helicopter to Kathmandu. However, because of the increasing number of such incidents, the two major hospitals in Kathmandu, Bir Hospital and Teaching Hospital, have become crowded and even their normal health services were affected. It therefore is a prudent step, that the Health Management Committee of His Majesty’s Government, in an emergency meeting the other day, decided to provide health services in a quick and coordinated way to those who have been injured in violent Maoists attacks by mobilising different zonal and private hospitals.

There are well-equipped zonal level hospitals in many parts of the country. It is only fitting that the government has decided to seek the services of these hospitals and also private medical colleges in providing emergency services, especially to handle trauma and surgical cases. There is no doubt, the private sector health providers must also contribute in looking after those innocent people who have had to suffer terrorist attacks, as the country is going through a difficult period. Meanwhile, this initiative of the government also must be taken as an opportunity to properly equip the zonal hospitals and ensure there is able manpower to run them. While for the time being this would help in taking care of victims of terrorist attacks, later, it could be used to provide the necessary health services to the common people. With proper planning on the part of the authorities and co-operation from the private sector, the present decision of the Health Management Committee could go a long way in bettering the health services throughout the Kingdom for the present and for the future as well.

Building On Tourism

NEPAL, a country that offers unending mysteries remaining to be explored in its virgin mountains and rapids is a paradise for tourists. The unmatchable snowcapped peaks rising majestically to giddying heights are major assets of Nepal’s tourism treasure. The country having a recorded history of hundreds of years is equally boastful of its age-old arts and crafts. Temples with incredible artwork are no less vibrant in terms of their hidden potentials to attract outsiders. Going by the record of tourist arrivals to Nepal after it opened its doors to the foreigners in the mid fifties, we can see that the growth is visible albeit quite gradually. The growth trend followed an optimistic line till a few years back. The Visit Nepal Year 1998 was by and large successful to bring in around half a million tourists and also to publicise Nepal in the global tourism market. The VNY’98 however did not work wonders as had been expected by many since tourism growth hinges on a number of factors and a one time event alone cannot bring the expected results. What surprises many is while countries with reasonably weaker tourism potentials are making huge gains, Nepal that has unlimited tourism prospects has not still been able to make the envisaged gains. The reason attributed to the slow progress of the tourism sector is no other than Nepal’s failure to compete with the countries around the world in offering attractive tourism packages at the lowest possible costs. One other matter that needs to be taken earnestly is the assurance to outsiders that they will be secure while visiting Nepal. With these two factors receiving due consideration, an effective marketing strategy would enable Nepal to give a headway to its tourism development. Now talking about the marketing part, anybody who is a Nepalese national and is on a visit to a foreign land can do the job without any hesitation. While the tourism industry at the moment is in dire straits, Minister for Industry and Supplies Purna Bahadur Khadka was gracious enough to invite the Germans to visit Nepal. Speaking at the Nepal Evening Programme organized in Stuttgart, Germany recently Minister Khadka invited the Germans to visit Nepal and discover its vast potential. He also availed the opportunity to inform the gathering that Nepal had opened 100 new virgin peaks for climbing and had issued permission for opening remote areas for developing adventurous trekking. This apart, he also shed light on the efforts already made to simplify visa regulations. The publicity of Nepal’s tourism potentials have been made at the right time when the country is bracing to mark the year 2002 as the Year of the Mountains. Nepal can undoubtedly cash in on the mega event and consolidate its image as an impeccable tourist destination if it plays its cards well.