Drive against Kala-azar in Saptari

SARLAHI, A health camp has been organized at Taiwan Basti in Ward No 6 of Hariwan VDC of Sarlahi after kala-azar gripped the settlement. Kala-azar has killed at least 12 people and infected 50 people in the settlement within three weeks since the disease broke out.

A team of health workers from the Communicable Disease Control Division, Kathmandu, has started treating the patients by holding a camp in the village since yesterday, according to Arun Kumar Jha, senior public health officer at the district public health office, Sarlahi.

VDC secretary Raj Kumar Thapa said pesticides are being sprayed in Hariwan and surrounding villages so as to control the spread of the disease.
Harka Bahadur Ale, a local, said 11 people lost their lives to kala-azar due to the lack of treatment. Fulmaya Rai (50) and Talk Bahadur Rana (50) died of kala-azar on Wednesday and Tuesday respectively.

Other killed by the disease are Prem Ram, Sandadevi Pasawan, Kancha Pariyar, Gopimaya BK, Anita BK, Phulmaya BK, Pancha Lal BK, Badri Ghising and Sunmaya Magar.

Jha said it has not yet been confirmed whether they died of kala-azar even though the causative agent of kala-azar has been found in the locality.
In Itahari, patients at Sunsari District Hospital, Inaruwa have been deprived of getting the facility of x-ray service for the past five years.
The hospital which has posts for six doctors is sometimes gripped in chaos due to absence of the doctors.

Despite massive crowd of patients in the hospital, it is learnt that only three doctors are carrying out their duties.

Similarly, the service recipients are compelled to visit the expensive private clinics even for the x-ray of minor diseases.

Though the Department of Health Services had provided an advanced x-ray machine (300 mm) to the hospital three months ago, it could not be operated yet.

The machine could not be used yet due to the lack of technicians for fitting the machine, said a hospital staffer Tarani Prasad Yadav.

Over 50 to 100 patients visit the hospital daily for treatment, it is learnt.
In Bhimphedi, district public health office, Makwanpur, completed spraying insecticides against mosquitoes in ward No 2 and 3 of Manahari VDC so as to prevent the spread of diseases by mosquitoes, specially malaria.

Likewise the office provided insecticide-treated nets to 2,490 people of 1,300 households of the wards to keep themselves protected from mosquito bite.

The office also completed collecting blood samples and household statistics in the area, said malaria control officer of the office Naresh Raj Yadav.
In Lahan, Patients of Lahan Hospital have been affected from lack of oxygen.

Some 100- 150 patients come to the hospital daily at present. Of them, some need oxygen, doctors said.

We demand 10 cylinders but only get two, and service is affected, said Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Gyanendra Bahadur Adhikari.

There is also the shortage of beds in the 15-bed hospital forcing to treat them on the hospital floor and now they are also affected by shortage of oxygen.