'Safe drinking water for displaced main challenge'

'Safe drinking water for displaced main challenge'

Ensuring safe drinking water and hygienic foods to displaced people is the main challenge in the flood-hit districts, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) of the Department of Health Services (DoHS), which is responsible for preventing and controlling outbreak of diseases, said.

Officials at the EDCD said that health workers are struggling to provide safe drinking water to the displaced people as they do not even have vessels to purify the water by chlorination. 

“We have distributed chlorine drops at the displaced camps, but the people do not have water vessels for chlorination,” a health worker said. Health workers have urged the administration and the District Drinking Water Corporation’s office to ensure safe drinking water for the displaced people. 

Dozens have died and thousands have been displaced by the floods in Banke, Bardia, Surkhet and Dang districts in the Mid-western Region. Thousands of people in these districts are camping out at temporary shelters. 

The EDCD said that it has already deployed a team of health workers at the flood-affected regions to assess the possible risks of the spread of communicable diseases. 

“We have sent a team of health workers with essential medicines to the affected districts,” Dr Baburam Marasaini, director at the EDCD, said. He claims that there is no dearth of essential drugs in the flood affected districts and challenge lies in ensuring safe drinking water and foods for the displaced people. Most of the drinking water resources of the districts have been contaminated by the recent flood.

Dr Marasini said that the office is serious in its efforts to prevent any outbreak of communicable diseases in the camps for the displaced. The local authorities have set dozens of camps for displaced people in safe areas. 

The EDCD said that there is no need to send doctors from the capital as the region has several medical collages and regional hospitals whose help could be sought if situation demands.

Source:http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=81404

बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्रमा महामारीको जोखिम

नेपालगन्ज, भाद्र २ - सरकारले योजनाबद्ध उद्धार कार्य, तत्काल राहत र विस्थापितको व्यवस्था गर्न नसक्दा पहिरो तथा बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्रको जनजीवन कष्टकर बन्दै गएको छ। ती क्षेत्रमा खानेपानी, विद्युत् र आवागमन अवरुद्ध छन्।

पीडितहरू फोहर पानी र भिजेको अन्न खान बाध्य छन्। त्यसले महामारीको जोखिम देखिएको छ। बाँके, बर्दिया र सुर्खेतका बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्रमा झाडापखाला र ज्वरोको समस्या देखिइसकेको छ। बाँके र बर्दियाका हजारौं पीडितले राहत पाएका छैनन्। सुर्खेत र जाजरकोटमा खानेपानी अवरुद्ध छ भने डोल्पामा विद्युत् आपूर्ति बन्द छ।

बर्दिया संवाददाता कमल पन्थीका अनुसार बबई र कर्णाली नदीमा जलस्तर घट्दै जाँदा झाडापखाला र ज्वरोका बिरामी बढ्दै गएका छन्। पदनाहा, बनियाभार, नेउलापुर, बगनाहा, मोहम्मदपुरलगायत गाविस र गुलरिया नगरपालिका महामारीको उच्च जोखिममा छन्। सफा पिउने पानी अभाव कायम रहे महामारी फैलिने जोखिम रहेको जिल्ला स्वास्थ्य प्रमुख अच्युत लामिछानेले बताए। बाढीले दौलतपुर, बगनाहा र पदनाहा गाविसमा रहेका स्वास्थ्य केन्द्रमा बाढीले क्षति पुर्‍याएपछि औषधि अभाव छ। विरामी बढेपछि औषधिसहित स्वास्थ्यकर्मी पठाउने तयारी भइरहेको स्वास्थ्य कार्यालयले जनाएको छ। बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्र निरीक्षणमा आएका उपप्रधान तथा गृहमन्त्री वामदेव गौतमले ३८ ठाउँमा स्वास्थ्य शिविर सञ्चालन गरिने बताए। महामारी फैलिन नदिन प्रहरी र प्रशासनलाई निर्देशन पनि दिए।

चाउचाउ र बिस्कुटको भर बर्दियाका हजारौ विस्थापितलाई राहतस्वरूप चाउचाउ र बिस्कुट वितरण गरिएको छ। चाउचाउ समेत अभाव भएपछि नेपालगन्जलगायत ठाउँबाट ल्याएर हेलिकप्टरबाट पुर्‍याइएको छ। धेरै ठाउँमा सडक बगेका आउजाउमा कठिनाइ छ। यातायात सम्पर्क नभएका ठाउँमा तीन हेलिकप्टरले राहत सामग्री वितरण गर्न लागेको प्रजिअ तेजप्रसाद पौडेलले बताए। पोषणयुक्त खाना अभावमा प्रभावित क्षेत्रमा सुत्केरी र गर्भवतीको अवस्था नाजुक बन्दै गएको छ।

ज्यान जोगाउन कुहिएका अन्न बाँकेको राप्ती नदी डुबानमा परेका बासिन्दाले ज्यान जोगाउन कुहिएका चामल, गहुँ, धान, दाललगायत खान थालेपछि महामारीको जोखिम बढेको छ। बाढीग्रस्त क्षेत्र पुगेर फर्केका संवाददाता ठाकुरसिंह थारुका अनुसार सडेका र कुहिएका खाद्यान्न सडकभरि सुकाउन राखिएकाले दुर्गन्ध फैलिएको छ। त्यस क्षेत्रमा सरकारी उपस्थित नभएपछि पीडित ४ दिनदेखि अलपत्र छन्। 'एकाएक राप्तीको बाढी गाउँ पस्यो, केही झिक्न पाइएन। खाद्यान्न राखिएका डेहरी गलेर ढले,' कुहिन थालेको चामल सुकाउँदै गरेकी फत्तेपुर ८ महिमानपुरकी रामप्यारीले भनिन्, '३/४ दिन भोकै कसरी बस्नु। भोकले रोग मान्दैन। घाम लागेको बेला सुकाएर यही खाने गरेका छौं।'

तीन दिनसम्म बाढी नघटेपछि खाद्यान्न कुहिएको हो। कतिपयको खाद्यान्न माटोमा मिसिएको छ। धेरैको खाद्यान्न बगेको छ। जोगाइएका धान, गहुँ, मसुरोमा ढुसी परेको छ। कतिपयको खाद्यान्न घरसँगै पुरिएको छ। 'यतिका दिन भइसक्यो हाम्रो अवस्थाबारे जानकारी लिन कोही आएन। हामी सडेका खाद्यान्न खाना थालेका छौं,' फत्तेपुर ९ ढलैयाका पल्टु चौधरीले भने। बाढीमा परी मरेका चौपायाको दुर्गन्धले पनि संक्रमणको जोखिम बढाएको छ। घर भत्किँदा च्यापिएर मरेका दुई गोरुको दुर्गन्ध राप्ती बगरमा फैलिएको छ। ढलैयामा सुँगुर/बंगुर मरेर दुर्गन्ध फैलेको छ।

जिल्ला जनस्वास्थ्य बाँकेका महामारी रोग नियन्त्रणका फोकल पर्सन रामबहादुर चन्दले कुहिएको खाद्यान्न खाँदा झाडापखाला, आउँ र रगतमासी संक्रमणको जोखिम हुने बताए। दुर्गन्धले भाइरल ज्वरो र श्वासप्रश्वासको समस्या हुने उनले बताए। बाढीले हुलाकी राजमार्ग भत्काएपछि यातायात ठप्प भएको छ। फत्तेपुरका एक सय घर भत्काएको छ। फत्तेपुर, ढलैया, गुलरी, डाँडाटेपरी, खलाटपरी, कमैयाडाँडा, लक्षिरामपुर, पदनाहा, जरैया, महिमानपुरका बासिन्दाको घरभित्रको अन्नपात कुहिएको छ।

खानेपानी, विद्युत् र सडक अवरुद्ध तीन दिनअघि आएको बाढीले खानेपानीको मुहान र पाइप बगाउँदा सुर्खेत उपत्यकामा तीन दिनदेखि पानीको हाहाकार भएको संवाददाता मोतिलाल पौडेलले जनाएका छन्। बाढीले झुप्रा, इत्राम र खोर्के खोलाको मुहानमा क्षति पुर्‍याउनुका साथै पाइप बगाएको छ। साउन २९ को बाढीले मुहान र संरचनामा क्षति पुर्‍याएपछि उपत्यकावासीलाई खानेपानी उपलब्ध गराउन नसकिएको झुप्रा खानेपानी तथा सरसफाइ संस्थाका अध्यक्ष कुलमणि देवकोटाले बताए। अस्थायी रूपमा पानीको व्यवस्था मिलाइँदै गरेको उनको बताए। वषर्ाले क्षति पुर्‍याएका कारण सुर्खेतमा तीन दिनदेखि बत्ती अवरुद्ध भएको छ। मुरली खोला र हर्रेमा मुख्य लाइनमा क्षति भएकाले विद्युत् अवरुद्ध भएको विद्युत् प्राधिकरण शाखाले जनाएको छ।

जाजरकोटमा विद्युत् र खानेपानी अनियमित जाजरजोट सदरमुकाम खलंगाको विद्युत् सेवा र बुंदबुदी मुहानबाट आपूर्ति भएको खानेपानी लाइन अवरुद्ध भएको छ। पहिरोले साङ्ट लघु जलविद्युत् आयोजनाको कुलो भत्काउँदा विद्युत् आपूर्तिमा कठिनाइ भएको अध्यक्ष लीलाबहादुर शाहले बताए। जसका कारण सदरमुकाम अन्धकार भएको छ भने पहिरोले पाइपलाइन बगाउँदा खानेपानीको हाहाकार भएको छ।

त्यस्तै बाढीपहिरोले रामीडाँडामा पनि विद्युत् तथा खानेपानी र सक्लामा खानेपानी आपूर्ति बन्द भएको छ। बाढीपहिरोले जिल्ला विभिन्न स्थानमा खानेपानी, विद्युत्, सिँचाइ कुलो, बाटो, विद्यालय भवन, पुललगायत दर्जनौं भौतिक संरचना क्षति पुर्‍याएको अध्यक्ष शाहले बताए।

बाढीले नहर भत्काउँदा अन्धकार बाढीले नहर भत्काउँदा जैरिगाड साना जलविद्युत् केन्द्रको विद्युत् आपूर्ति बन्द भएको छ।

डोल्पा संवाददाता विष्णुलाल बुढाका अनुसार, सदरमुकाम दुनैको साना जलविद्युत् केन्द्र जैरिगाडको नहर बाढीले भत्काएपछि विद्युत् आपूर्ति बन्द भएको नेपाल विद्युत् प्राधिकरण दुनैले जनाएको छ।

नहरको मूलदेखि ५० मिटर वर जैरिगाड खोलामा आएको बाढीले कटान गरेपछि नहर भत्केको हो। बाढीले नहरको ३१ मिटर भत्काएको र त्यसको असरले ४१ मिटरसम्म चर्केकाले तत्काल विद्युत् उत्पादन र आपूर्ति हुन कठिन रहेको निमित्त स्थानीय विकास अधिकारी अंगदकुमार हमालले बताए।

पहिरोका घाइतेलाई हेलिकप्टरबाट उद्धाररोल्पा संवाददाता काशीराम डाँगीका अनुसा- घरमाथि पहिरो खस्दा गम्भीर घाइते भएका रोल्पा राँकका एक जनालाई थप उपचारका लागि सेनाले हेलिकप्टरबाट अस्पताल पुर्‍याएको छ। प्रहरीका अनुसार रोल्पा राँक २ का कृष्ण वलीलाई आइतबार सेनाको हेलिकप्टरबाट दाङको तुलसीपुर लगिएको हो। ३२ वर्षका कृष्ण पहिरोमा पुरिएपछि च्यापिएका थिए। घर भत्किएर च्यापिएका उनलाई स्थानीय स्वास्थ्य संस्थामा उपचार गरिएको थियो। 'गाउँमा उपचार हुन नसकेपछि उनलाई हेलिकप्टरबाट अस्पताल लगिएको हो।' प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारी लुकबहादुर क्षेत्रीले भने।

उद्धारका लागि हेलिकप्टर तयार राख्नुहोलाः गृहमन्त्री

उपप्रधान तथा गृहमन्त्री गौतमले सुर्खेतलगायत मध्यपश्चिमका विभिन्न जिल्लामा आएको बाढीपहिरोपछि उद्धार, राहत र पुनःस्थापना गरी ३ चरणको योजना बनाएर सरकार अघि बढिरहेको बताएका छन।

बाढी तथा पहिरोग्रस्त क्षेत्रको निरीक्षण भ्रमणमा आएका गौतमले उद्धार र राहतमा गुनासो आएपछि सुर्खेतमा प्रहरी तथा प्रशासनका अधिकारीलाई हेलिकप्टर 'स्टेन्डबाई' राख्न निर्देशन दिएका हुन्। सरकारले आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण स्रोत, साधन र सम्पत्ति लगाएर भए पनि बाढीपीडितहरूको उद्धार, राहत र पुनःस्थापनामा कुनै कसर बाँकी नराख्ने उनले बताए। उनले सरकारले गरेका काम र प्रयासमा खोट निकालेर आलोचना गर्नभन्दा पनि सरकारले गरेका काममा सहयोग गर्न र एकजुट भएर सहकार्य गर्नुपर्ने आवश्यकता औंल्याए।

प्राकृतिक प्रकोपमा मृत्यु भएका व्यक्तिका परिवारलाई ४० हजार तथा घर क्षति भएकालाई ५ हजार रुपैयाँ दिने नीतिअनुसार सरकारले आर्थिक सहयोग दिने गृहमन्त्रीको बताएका छन्। आवश्यकता पर्दा जे चाहिए पनि विपद व्यवस्थापन समितिसँग समन्वय गरी पूर्ति गर्न आफूले प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीलाई निर्देशन समेत दिइसकेको उनले बताए।

राहत उद्धार र पुनःस्थापनाका लागि आवश्यक निर्देशन दिन र समन्वय गर्न गृहमन्त्रालयअन्तर्गत गठन गरिएको कमान्ड कन्ट्रोललाई चौबीसै घन्टा उच्च सतर्कताका साथ राखिएको गृहमन्त्री गौतमको भनाइ छ। बाढी तथा पहिरो प्रभावित जिल्लाहरूमा राहत र उद्धारका लागि हेलिकप्टर तयार राखिएको बताउँदै उनले काम नसकिँदासम्म हेलिकप्टर यतै रहने जानकारी दिए।

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/np/2071/5/2/full-story/394224.html

Diseases follow deluge in Banke‚ Bardiya

2014-08-17

NEPALGUNJ/DIPAYAL: Flood and landslide victims in Bardiya, Banke and Kailali have begun contracting diseases and health workers are worried that if appropriate measures are not taken on time, it may lead to outbreak of cholera. 

Bardiya flood victims are suffering from cholera, fever, diarrhoea and common cold. Victims at Bardiya headquarters and health posts have received treatment, but those in the far-flung areas have not been so lucky. 

Achyut Lamichhane, Chief at Bardiya District Public Health Office , said his office had accelerated the treatment of flood victims at temporary camps. Lamichhane warned of cholera outbreak if appropriate measures were not taken pronto. Those camping on riverbanks face the gravest threat, due to the dead livestock. “If the victims are not relocated at safer place, epidemic might break out any time,” Lamichhane warned. 

Health workers are yet to reach some of the flood-hit areas. Flood victims at Neulapur, Bagnaha and many other rural areas are yet to receive relief. Gopiram Tharu of Bagnaha said rescue workers were yet to reach them, as the floods had damaged the roads. 

Majority of 19,000 victims in Bardiya are yet to get food and other relief though a helicopter dropped some packets of noodles and beaten rice this noon, said Tharu. “Many people are suffering from diarrhoea and we don’t have safe drinking water. We feel as if there is no government in our country,” Tharu added. 

According to focal person Ram Bahadur Malla at Banke District Public Health Office, victims at Holiya, Betahani and Udharapur are complaining of diarrhoea, fever and eye pain. Malla said they had treated 200 victims at Holiya and Betahani. 

Home Minister Bamdev Gautam, who came to inspect flood-hit districts today, had directed the government agencies to set up temporary camps and deploy doctors and nurses from Bheri Zonal Hospital. Gautam directed authorities to provide water, medicines, shelter and toilets at the earliest to the flood victims. 

Health workers said cholera, diarrhoea and common cold have afflicted flood victims in Kailali as well. Elderly and children are the worst hit. 

Health Director Parsuram Shrestha at far-western regional health directorate said his office had kept all the health workers on standby to check outbreak of an epidemic. Shrestha said medicine and health workers had been dispatched to the flood-hit areas. “We have asked all the health workers of 12 VDCs not to go on leave,” Shrestha said. 

Source: The Himalayan Times

अस्पतालमा बिरामीको घुईचो, ९० प्रतिशतमा झाडापखाला

भीमदत्तनगर, बैशाख ३० गते 
 गर्मी बढेसंगै महाकाली अञ्चल अस्पतालमा बिरामीको संख्या समेत बढेको छ । 
बैशाखको तेस्रो सता यता शुरु भएको प्रचण्ड गर्मीका कारण बिरामीको संख्या बढेको महाकाली अञ्चल अस्पतालले जनाएको छ । अस्पतालमा अहिले बैशाखको अन्तिम साता शुरु भएबाट बिरामीको संख्या दोब्बर भएको छ । अस्पतालका डाक्टर रामबिहारी चौधरीका अनुसार बिरामी मध्ये धेरै जसो झाडापखालाका रहेका छन । उपचारका लागि आउने बिरामी मध्ये ९० प्रतिशतमा झाडापखाला देखिएको छ भने अन्य कोही टाईफाइड, टाउँको दुख्ने, दम तथा वान्ता हुने लगायतका रहेका छन ।
 कतिपय बिरामी पेट दुख्ने समस्याले समेत अस्पताल पुगेका छन । बढ्दो गर्मीका कारण पानी दुषित हुनु, बासी खानेकुरा खानु लगायतका विभिन्न समस्याले गर्दा बिरामी समेत बढेका हुन । चिकित्कसहरुले गर्मीयामका समयमा बासी खानेकुरा नखान तथा सफा र स्वच्छ पानीको मात्रै प्रयोग गर्न सुझाव दिएका छन । धेरैजसोले पानी फिल्टर गरेर खाए सुरक्षित भईन्छ भन्ने सोचे पनि अहिले प्रयोग हुने धेरै जसो फिल्टरमा छानिएको पानी सुरक्षित नहुने जनाइएको छ । यस्तै गर्मी मौसममा सरसफाईमा विशेष ध्यान दिन तथा तरकारी र फलफूल राम्रो संग पखालेर मात्रै खानुपर्ने चिकित्सकको सुझाव छ । 

श्रोत: गोरखापत्र  अनलाईन  

Diarrhoea still not under control in Rautahat

7th May, 1014

RAUTAHAT: The outbreak of diarrhoea that started in Gaindatar of Chandranigahapur VDC, a week ago, is yet to be brought under control. 

Diarrhoea infection was first seen in Gaindatar on April 30. Though doctors from government and private hospitals started treating patients in temporary camps at the local Janashakti Secondary School, the disease has not been brought under control so far, said Dr Dharmendra Patel of Chandranigahapur Hospital. According to him, they have cured 350 diarrhoea patients till today. 

Ten patients are being administered saline water at the camp, said another doctor at the hospital, Amit Kumar Patel. According to him, many patients are children. “As people started drinking spring water after water wells dried up, Gaindatar residents were infected,” said health workers. 

However, the main reason behind the outbreak is yet to be confirmed, said doctor Patel. “The water supplied in the area and stool samples have been sent to Kathmandu for tests,” said Patel. 

Twelve persons were seriously infected with diarrhoea at Chandranigahapur-4 as well. “A temporary camp has been set up to treat patients and to prevent an epidemic in the area, he said. 

A four-member investigation panel led by Dr Pranilman Singh Pradhan of Patan Health Academy has been formed. The team reached Gaindatar today. The panel also completed the field study of the water source in the area. 

Red Cross Society Chandranigahapur distributed 20 litres of water to each household at Gaindatar through tanker today. 

Meanwhile, District Public Health Chief Raj Kishor Pandit said, “The situation is gradually improving and will come under complete control within two days.” 

Local Raju Dhami said locals had to suffer because the water source had become filthy. The locals had demanded proper treatment of the infected and supply of water in the locality from District Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office a few days ago. 

Source: The Hilmalayan Times

Waste segregation bins to be installed at Hanumandhoka Square

KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is all set to install separate waste segregation bins at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square area. 

“We will place nine sets of bins at the heritage area from (next) Friday as per the civic body’s plan to install separate bins for organic and inorganic waste at the busiest sections of the city within the current fiscal,” said chief of the KMC’s Environment Management Division Rabin Man Shrestha.

There are 200,000 households in the metropolis with the total population of 1.1 million. More than 450 metric tonnes of waste is daily produced from the metropolis, according to the KMC office.

“Each container will have a capacity of 30 litres,” Shrestha said, adding that the campaign will be gradually extended to other areas.

Two years ago, the civic body had placed about 500 trash bins of 240 litre capacity each along the major sections of the city. However, only a single bin was kept at different parts of the city for organic and inorganic waste. They were later removed during the road expansion drive, according to KMC.

The civic body will also install two separate bins in those places from where the bins were removed, said KMC officials. 

KMC has allotted Rs 1.5 million for the plan to be implemented in the coming fiscal. Despite several attempts, KMC has not succeeded in implementing the waste segregation laws at households.

The Waste Management Act 2011 has provisioned the segregation of waste at the source to keep the city clean, but it is yet to be effectively enforced.

It has also provisioned a fine of Rs 500 to Rs 100,000 and imprisonment of two weeks to three months against the violators of the waste management law

Soruce: The Himalayan Times

Published Date: 2014-02-01

KMC's sanitation campaigns fail to keep city clean

KATHMANDU, Dec 7: Every day Dambar Bahadur Naral, a security guard at the Nepal Medical Association, has to clean away the refuse pile dumped in front of his office to open the main gate. 
It has been his daily routine in the last 13 years. Naral is fed up with the negligence of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) office, a major body to maintain wastage in Kathmandu city. 

“I joined this office some 13 years ago and I have been cleaning the refuses from the first day of my job,” said Naral. “The problem of refuse is always same here. If the KMC office does not maintain the wastage of the capital city, then what is the office for?”
Naral, 52, said that along with the KMC office, nearby hotels and other shops are also responsible for the piles of refuse in front of his office. “They use this place as a dumping site and sometime the rickshaw which is operated by the KMC office, to collect the refuse, also dumps the collected refuse here only,” he added.
“Once we had submitted a letter to the KMC office, requesting them to clean the road and collect all the refuse,” said Naral. “As per our request letter, they sent garbage truck and collected all the refuse. By then, they did not come again which means we have to send letters regularly in order to clean the refuse.”
Like Naral, Januka Adhikari, 30, is also facing the problem of wastages. Adhikari, who has been operating her cosmetic shop on a pulling cart at Kalanki, is compelled to run her shop near the pile of refuse as that place is the closest to her room.
“I have been operating here for the last one year and I have not seen any garbage van collecting the refuses from here,” said Adhikari. “But I have seen people throwing wastage. The concerned authority should collect the refuse regularly so that people would not have to face so many problems. Not only me but all the people who cross this road have been facing the same problem." 
According to her, the refuse could be harmful for children´s health as well. So, the concerned authority must collect the refuse timely. 
Tons of wastes have piled up on many street of the capital city. Despite the fact that the KMC office has been organizing special cleanliness campaigns, the problem of waste is still the same. 

The KMC office is organizing a seven-day cleanliness campaign from today to mark 18th anniversary of its establishment. Some of the officials gathered today and organized various plans along with cleaning the capital city. Similarly, they have also informed all the wards of Kathmandu to carry out cleanliness campaign in their respective wards. The KMC office will celebrate its anniversary on December 14. 
“We have organized a cleaning campaign on the anniversary of our office,” said Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of Environment Management Division at KMC office. “Our campaign will help to increase awareness among the people.”
The KMC office has organized a number of such campaigns in the past but none of them have had any noticeable effect on the cleanliness of the capital city.
source: myrepublica.com