02 April 2019, Kathmandu
The Ministry of Health and Population has sent a squad of medical specialists to monitor the treatment of those injured from the powerful storm that struck Bara and Parsa districts on Sunday evening.
The ministry has sent Prof Dr Nilam Khadka, Prof Dr Subas Karna and Prof Dr Rabiram of National Academy of Medical Sciences to the affected areas today. Porf Dr Khadka is a neurosurgeon, Prof Dr Karna is an orthopedic specialist and Prof Dr Rabiram is a critical care specialist. They would give necessary directions to health workers after carrying out monitoring of the hospitals, where the injured are receiving treatment. The special squad is assigned to carry out the medical audit. Medical audit checks out the validity of treatment procedures and use of medicines and so on. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population, Upendra Yadav, State Minister Dr Surendra Yadav, Secretary Chandra Kumar Ghimire and Joint-Secretaries Ramesh Kharel and Dipendra Raman Singh are now at storm affected areas to take stock of losses caused by the disaster in Bara and Parsa districts.
The injured are now receiving treatment at different hospitals- Narayani Sub-regional Hospital, National Medical College, Kalaiya Hospital, Tarai Hospital, Advance Hospital, Gandaki Hospital, Birgunj Health Care Unit, Bhawani Hospital, LS Neuro Hospital and Kathmandu-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
Treatment of the injured is also going on at local health institutes of Kalaiya sub-metropolis, Mahagadhimai and Pacharauta municipalities and the Prasauni, Pheta, Suwarna and Parwanipur rural municipalities, the mostly affected areas, the Ministry said.
Department of Health Services’ director general Dr Guna Raj Lohani who had returned after the onsite inspection to the affected areas said,” There is no scarcity of health workers, medicines and equipment to treat the injured and no problem is seen in the treatment procedures.”
Additional services are in pace in the affected areas as per the requirements; and psychosocial counseling, mental health and therapy services have begun. Preventive measures have been taken to avoid possible incidences of snakebite with a rise in temperature. Works to spray power have begun to keep away snakes.
The ministry has adopted the policy of treating the injured at local health facilities and institutions as much as possible. They will be brought to Kathmandu if the treatment turns impossible there. A total of 27 people lost their lives to the unexpected incident.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit today held under the chair of Ministry’s joint secretary Dr Sushilnath Pyakurel decided to mobilise its entire mechanism for better rescue and treatment of the injured and to render other sorts of assistance to them, taking a high alert to avoid untoward crisis.
Representatives of donor agencies providing economic and technical assistance for quality health services in Nepal were also present in the meeting which expressed commitments not to allow any sorts of crisis of nutrition sanitation, vaccination, medicines and health human resources in the affected areas.
The UNICEF, UNFPA, Save the Children, USAID and the DFID representatives promised further assistance in the areas of food supply, health services delivery, of sanitation and nutrition in the affected areas.
Meantime, the Nepal Red Cross Society has said it has accelerated the Emergency Operation Center in the aftermath of the crisis and, giving continuity to search, rescue and relief efforts.
NRCS Disaster Management Director Mona Aryal said human resources have been mobilised for the distribution of non-food assistance materials and taints and for the psychosocial counseling in the affected areas.
