HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

By Our Correspondent

Bharatpur (Chitawan), June 9: An outbreak of typhoid and malaria in Bharatpur Municipality and the surrounding areas two days ago has yet to be controlled, and the locals blame the concerned authorities for not paying due attention. They fear an epidemic might break out as two more people died today, bringing the total number of dead to four.

The district education committee has decided to close down all private and public schools of the district from Tuesday for one week.

Meanwhile, two more persons, 9-year-old girl Buddhimaya Gurung of Bharatpur Municipality ward No. 8 and 6-year-old boy Bam Bahadur Gurung of Shailung VDC of Tanahu district, died today of the diseases. Two nurses of the medical college had succumbed to malaria on Friday, while six more nurses of Bharatpur Hospital and two of the medical college have been hospitalised.

According to Laxmi Raj Regmi, record-keeper at Bharatpur Hospital, more than 1,300 people have visited the hospital in the last 16 days. Today alone, 150 patients came. An estimated 2,000 people are said to be suffering from the diseases.

As many patients have been visiting the private clinics and the hospital of the medical college. Blood tests of the patients show that 54 per cent of those with high fever have typhoid and 10 per cent malaria.

Dr. Kalidas Adhikary, Medical Officer at Bharatpur Hospital, said that out of 100 blood samples, 8 showed malarial infection. Similar tests at the College of Medicine on 90 patients showed that 10 persons were suffering from malaria.

Although the fear of an epidemic in the district is increasing, the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health Services have not been paying much attention, say officials. Medical Superintendent of Bharatpur Hospital Dr. Brij Narayan Chaudhary said the Department had been apprised of the diseases, but there seems to be no urgency in dealing with them.

He said the number of patients has far outnumbered the hospital beds. He said it was important to open health camps at places where the diseases are most severe, but this cannot be done due to lack of medical personnel.

Chief District Officer Bishnu Raj Kusum said the local administration is preparing to launch public health awareness programmes in coordination with the Public Health Office of the district.

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