Apropos of the news story “Hospital tense over patient’s death in Jhapa” (THT, March 8, Page 3), we often hear such news about hospitals’ negligence and public and family outrage. In fact, health is the most important part of life. This is not a light issue for any of us. Most of the people believe that doctors are Gods as they have an understanding about several diseases. Patients must be served by their doctors. However, it is painful to say that a handful of doctors play with the patient’s life. This must be stopped as the doctors have taken an oath for treating their patients with the utmost motive of saving their life. The government should take action on those so-called pseudo doctors as per the law. The doctors are minting money exploiting the patients’ innocence and some of them have recently been found to be quacks. Negligence in the treatment of patients is like the killing an innocent person by a criminal. They, if found guilty, deserve maximum punishment.

Saroj Wagle, Bara

Freedom

Despite zealous rhetoric of “advancement of women”; the fact remains that female foeticide as well as infanticide, molestation, rape, “honour” killings, murder for dowry and witch-hunting continue to plague the members of the fairer sex of society. And also there exists many silent killers in the form of wife-beating, marital rape, deprivation of proper nutrition and education and imposition of a number of restrictions within the family in the name of “tradition” and “religion”. Barring a few individuals, innumerable women are in no position to protest or retaliate. And the greatest shock and tragedy lies in the fact that majority of the educated young girls feel that husbands are “justified” in beating up their wives! While it remains the urgent duty of the males to do away with their chauvinistic mindset, women should also try to enlighten their souls and minds. Drinking and partying at bars and nightclubs, sporting “bold” attire and acting in sexually explicit films do not form the harbinger of “modernity”, “progress” or “women rights”. Only when women would learn to respect themselves, demand equal rights in the family and society as entitled to men-folk and refuse to get exploited by the society as a mere “commodity” or objects of lust; can it be expected that women would at last found their rightful place under the global sky.

Kajal Chatterjee,  Kolkata

Not fair

I would just like to say that the apartheid system, as well as racism, is alive and well in Nepal with its dual pricing system. Internal flights are five times as expensive for a non-Nepali national as it is for a Nepali. The same goes for buses, entrance costs to National Parks, visiting museums, booking hotels etc. At least, your Gurkha gentleman (THT, March 8, Page 8) paid the same price for his bus ticket as a UK national; here in Nepal you openly celebrate the fleecing of tourists.

Sylvia Bailey, Via email