Jajarkot, January 15

Viral fever claimed one more life in Junichande Rural Municipality, Jajarkot, last night. With this, the death toll from viral fever in the district has reached 14.

According to District Public health Office, Jajarkot, Dhansara Basnet, 55, of Kotarga of the rural municipality died of viral fever. A team of health workers deployed from the Kotarga sub-health post had treated Basnet at her house yesterday morning. Vice-chair of the rural municipality Shiva Acharya said Basnet died just after the health workers’ team returned.

Dr Bhupendra Prakash Malla said Basnet was suffering from high fever, common cold and respiratory problems, among other cold-related diseases. He added that as many as three family members, including the deceased’s husband, had fallen ill.

District Public Health Office, chief Ram Bahadur Nepali said viral fever that had plagued the district from three weeks ago was still not under control. He added that seven children below five years of age and as many adults above 50 years had so far lost their lives to viral fever, which was first seen in Ward No 2 of the rural municipality.

The seasonal fever has adversely affected locals of Ward No 1, 2 and 3 of the rural municipality.

“Malnourished children and elderly people have been affected the most,” he added.

Earlier, a team of health workers dispatched from the Ministry of Health had reached the affected areas in the district two weeks after the viral fever broke out. The team had claimed that viral fever would be brought under control within a few days.

Civil society member Rajendra Bikram Shah said the situation was likely to worsen if the state did not take the matter seriously. “The state should consider the situation seriously or else fatalities would increase,” he added.

Meanwhile, 10 local youths have started a ‘Live and Let Live’ campaign after many people lost their lives to frequent epidemics in Jajarkot in recent years.

At a press meet organised at district headquarters, Khalanga today, the youths urged all to help to combat epidemics. They also informed that they had collected Rs 30,000 on the first day of their campaign.

The campaigners added that the collected amount would be deposited at a bank and would be spent on purchasing essential materials in times of disaster. One of the campaigners said they were determined to upscale the drive nationwide.