Control Them
COME rainy season, there is an outbreak of
different epidemics. This has been the common phenomenon in the country for decades. Every
year hundreds of the people, especially the poor fall victim to the seasonal diseases.
Among them Gastroenteritis, typhoid, cholera and malaria have been the major killer
diseases. Interestingly, most of the diseases are water-borne and preventable. Yet, they
kill a large number of Nepalese people who lack access to clean drinking water and timely
medical facilities. And Chitwan, despite being a district having all sorts of the
facilities, has been the first district to suffer from the seasonal diseases this time. A
news report carried by this daily the other day had it that an outbreak of typhoid and
malaria in Bharatpur Municipality and the surrounding areas claimed four lives. Moreover,
among the dead two had been the medical personnel of the local medical college whereas
eight other nurses of the medical college and Bharatpur Hospital had been hospitalised. If
the medical personnel themselves are falling victim to the diseases, one can easily guess
how grave the situation there is. An estimated 2,000 people were reportedly said to be
suffering from the diseases. Following the increasing cases of the typhoid and malaria,
the district education committee decided to close down all the schools for a week in the
district. Certainly, the decision to shut down the schools would be helpful in preventing
the spread of the diseases.
But preventive measures alone will not be
sufficient to control when the epidemics have already started claiming lives. More
effective initiatives need to be taken to save the lives of the people. For this, opening
of the health camps and mobilisation of the medical personnel at places where the diseases
are most severe, is a must. Likewise, the people should be discouraged from consuming the
water contaminated with Coliform bacteria, which was reportedly supplied in Bharatpur.
Moreover, the concerned authorities entrusted to supply drinking water to the people
should give due attention to the health of the people by examining the quality of the
water they have supplied. Certainly, the spread of the malaria that was eradicated from
the country over two decades ago is a big challenge. As such the authorities should be
serious in checking the spread of malaria as well as other diseases by applying both
preventive and controlling measures.
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