Detrimental information

While talking about hair treatment and general body care with my cousin, I was shocked when she told me that vitamins provide

calories and that Biotin was related to Vitamin H. She even told me that Vitamin B was necessary for hair growth. She told me she had read this in one of the women’s magazine published from Kathmandu. I saw it, and it was all written there! But, such articles provide wrong information to the public.

People don’t seem to understand the reality and go about conveying the

useless or even harmful information to their peers and so on. Not only that, the recent chaos in Pokhara and Patan Hospital shows that the media is in real need of medical journalists who can understand facts and present it in the right light, so that the correct information goes to the public.

I hope the people concerned take this into account and stop providing wrong information about health and related topics.

Dr. Pallav Bhattarai, via e-mail

All’s gloomy

What has gone wrong with our country — Nepal? I am fond of reading news but these days I am shocked and disappointed at the disheartening news making the headlines. We are constantly surrounded by strikes, crisis, tussles and threats to make anything worth reading.

As a youth who aspires to have a bright future, I don’t find much about

development. I do understand Nepal is in a transition phase. But should we forget our dream of building a new Nepal?

Aamir Akhtar, via e-mail

Gravity

This is in reference to the news article “Depression paints a gloomy portrait of nation’s health”, (THT, March 30). It is truly shocking to learn that about 450 million people across the globe are suffering from mental disorders. It’s even more terrible to know that nearly one million people commit suicide every year. The writer also speaks about an estimated 19 million US nationals suffering from depression. And the conservative estimate is that around six million Nepalese are suffering from some form of mental disorder or the other.

It’s natural for human beings to feel low for a while at times but due attention and care has to be taken to avoid further deterioration of the mental health. Let’s face life’s

difficulties as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Besides, mental disorders can be treated and cured. Some mentally- ill patients might need medication along with psychotherapy or, even Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) in some acute cases depending on the degree of the disorder.

Cool Cristofer, Pokhara

Fleecing

It is common knowledge that most of the taxi drivers tamper with the fare meter, as a result of which they charge exorbitant fares. This has been going for a long time now but the concerned authorities seem to be the least concerned and allow this cheating to take place.

These days the fares have been reduced, at least in paper, but the taxi drivers haven’t. This shows that those responsible for seeing to it that this does not

happen are not doing their job. The erring taxi drivers should be warned, and if they still resort to unethical means, they should be punished.

Raju Thapa, via e-mail