Dealing With SARS

EVER since SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome surfaced in some Asian nations, alarm bells have been ringing around the world. The disease has already claimed scores of lives, most of them in China. The disease has spread far and wide and has worried governments and health officials in many countries. There have been fears that the disease could also travel to Nepal as it is well connected by air to Hong Kong, the main south east Asian city from where SARS spread its wings to travel around the world after it is suspected to have originated in another Chinese city. Health officials in Nepal have been sounding warning that unless measures are taken quickly, Nepalese could also begin to suffer from the disease. Though a little belated, it is welcome that the Department of Health Services issued on Wednesday information in public interest regarding the facts on SARS and how people should respond to its threat. Who is a suspect SARS case? According to the Department, a person with a history of high fever and coughing or breathing difficulty and has been in close contact with someone who is a suspected probable case of SARS or has traveled to an affected area or resided in an affected area during the 10 days prior to the onset of symptoms is considered a suspect case.

Despite the general travel advisory regarding travel to SARS-affected countries, it is not inconceivable that the disease could still enter Nepal. Thus, it was a good move on the part of the authorities to have arriving passengers who had visited SARS-affected countries fill up the SARS surveillance form at the Tribhuvan International Airport and receive health advice. This measure, however, has to be stringently implemented. The surveillance form should not be just another paper to be perfunctorily filled up before hurrying through the airport. At the same time, health professionals working in hospitals throughout Nepal must be asked to be alert to detect any suspected case. For, taking a suspect case immediately under surveillance and treatment at health facilities would ensure that the disease would not spread around. Given the fact that there is no antidote to the disease yet and that the treatment of SARS has required utmost care, prevention is infinitely better than efforts at cure. And the first step in prevention of the disease is full alertness by those manning the airport desks or hospitals and health facilities. A prerequisite to stopping the disease from spreading in Nepal is continual messages to the public regarding the likely ways to contract it. Let's hope everybody concerned gives this threat the attention it deserves.

Developmental Revival

THE nation has seen a new sense of confidence after the declaration of cease-fire between the Maoists and the government and implementation of the code of conduct. People now seem more confident and optimistic about the success of peace talks. Violence is against the interest of the nation and the people. Hence, peace is not only the national necessity but also the desire of the people and the international community. Taking it into a serious consideration, the government, right after coming to power, initiated the peace process, which was also positively responded by the Maoists. After the declaration of cease-fire and implementation of the code of conduct, there has been a revival of development activities. The government as well as the donor agencies have now restarted the process of expediting development activities in the rural areas. Only recently, a delegation from Ministry of Local Development, which also included representatives from international donor agencies, visited some remote hilly districts with the objective of assessing the situation for the implementation of reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes. The delegation found a positive and encouraging environment for development. Similarly, government and donor agencies in close cooperation with government and non-governmental organisations have been chalking out a comprehensive scheme for the reconstruction and rehabilitation programme in the country in general. Peace is a must for development. Thus, the present cease-fire and peace process must be transformed into a lasting peace for the larger interest of the nation and the people. At this crucial juncture, all Nepalese people as well as well wishers of Nepal must cooperate with the government and play an active role in making the peace process a success. We need to understand the fact that country's development is not possible without peace and stability. Thus, all political forces and people, irrespective of their ideology and political inclination, need to bury their partisan and personal differences and engage in the peace process.