Irresponsible doctors

Your editorial “Wait a minute!” (THT, November 9) has drawn my attention. Mahendra Basnet’s case is not an isolated one as far as death due to doctors’ negligence is concerned. A lot of patients have been victims of irresponsible doctors and hospital authorities. It is immoral to treat patients badly when they are struggling for their lives. And if this is the

situation in Kathmandu, think of the plight of the sick and dying in the remote areas of the country. More ridiculous was the apology of the hospital authorities that cited ‘communication gap’ between the doctors while changing the duty shift as the reason behind the death. Why should the patients’ family members be concerned about internal administration problems? The patients must always be given proper attention. However, it is also tragic that the government has not been able to provide sufficient beds in the ICU. The medical practitioners and the state must come up with ways to make hospitals more patient-friendly. I also agree with your point that since the doctors’ attention has been diverted to their private clinics and nursing homes, such cases might be repeated. It is a fact that the patients who are admitted to government-run hospitals are sometimes informally advised by the doctors themselves to go to their nursing homes and clinics for “better treatment.” The government must not turn a Nelson’s eye to such irresponsible and immoral acts.

Keshav Raj Adhikari, Pokhara

Misleading

One wishes the ‘experts’ were right when they say bird flu will never hit Nepal (“No avian flu in Nepal, say experts,” THT, November 19). Do they have a magical wand to ward off the

disease? Do they think sick birds will refuse to cross into Nepal’s border? Looking at the general condition of the poultry here, migratory birds have every chance of catching bird flu, just like their feathered relatives in any other Asian country. Instead of providing misleading

information, we expect the experts to give us regular, trustworthy updates on the health situation of poultry farming. If they fail to do this, rumours about the outbreak of avian flu will keep appearing. We understand that the experts want to give a boost to the livestock industry and make us eat chicken and eggs. By using these methods they underestimate the intelligence of Nepali consumers.

Animal Nepal team, via e-mail

First class

Rajendra Keshari Pandey’s Midway “Learning from Jyapus” published in THT on November 18 was a good write-up. It made me feel on top of the world because I am a Jyapu too. I must thank him for rating Jyapus as “first class citizens.” The statement does justice to my community. However, it is unfortunate that the age-old Jyapu tradition is no longer the same. We have forgotten our tradition and feel ashamed of working in the fields. Many of us have sold our lands to make way for the construction of commercial complexes and residential buildings. We would rather rent our houses and earn more money than indulge in agriculture. We must do our best to defend the title of first class citizens.

Dinesh Ram Dangol, Public Youth Campus