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.

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