We are living with an illusion that the social media will help us bring social change in the real sense. We react virtually while not much is changing at the grassroots level.

We hear about protests against corruption, violence, fraudulent acts and what not. But so often our clamour for actions against such evils is limited only to the Facebook page, tweet, blog, and awe-hashtags.

I don’t mean that these ‘slacktivism’ and ‘clicktivism’ are useless. In a very few cases, these have become the most effective movement for social change. We have already witnessed revolutionary changes even in orthodox societies through social media in recent history.

But, in Nepal’s context, online petitions, Facebook posts, and tweets are a waste of time. If possible, join any kind of social movement going around or at least call your elected officials for intervention.

Put their phone numbers in your phone and call them multiple times or SMS a week. Do this even if, like me, you don’t really like calling people.

You’re not imposing on anyone — you’re exercising your right as a citizen of a democracy.

Bijay Malla, Ghorahi

Punish them

It was not surprising to read the news “Illegal health centres apply for registration” (THT, December 21, Page 2) at such a time when doctors have been found saying that the reports of many such health centres are not reliable.

Finally, the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) seems to have realized this situation where thousands of patients and people have been badly cheated by these illegally opened and operated health service centres in the Valley.

I have had a bad experience while I was asked to check my blood sugar level. I found two different readings of blood sugar from two different lab tests within two days of interval.

It was directly a case of human rights violence related to getting reliable health test results for the appropriate treatment. It was really encouraging to know that the MoHP has given a strict warning to all the illegally running health centres which are not properly supervised and monitored by the concerned authorities to get registered.

MoHP must take lawful action against such centres for illegally running their business risking public health and life. Doctors treat the patients based on the lab tests and prescribe medicines accordingly.

If results of the lab tests are faulty, then the patients will definitely suffer from the wrongly prescribed medicines. Who knows, many people may have been disabled or died because of wrong diagnosis.

It is heard from time to time that agitated relatives of the victims of the negligence or incompetence of health facilities or doctors do attack hospital staff or vandalise hospital property.

The concerned authorities need to wake up and start doing strong supervision and monitoring of these unregistered health centres’ activities to ensure that they provide reliable health services to the people.

Rai Biren Bangdel, Maharajgunj