LETTERS: Save lives of people

Every year in the remote hilly districts, local people, especially the elderly and children, used to heavily suffer from natural calamities, waterborne diseases, seasonal communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Likewise, people in the Tarai districts terribly suffer from cold waves and monsoon floods. Some of them even lose their lives due to lack of awareness, late arrival of state services and irresponsible acts of concerned local government machinery. The common people would not have to suffer so much and not even lose their lives had the government and its concerned authorities acted seriously on time. In Jajarkot, 14 people have already lost lives due to outbreak of viral fever for the last three weeks. Malnourished children and elderly people have been affected the most.

Earlier, a team of health workers dispatched from the Ministry of Health had reached the affected areas two weeks ago and claimed that the viral fever would be brought under control in a few days. But, it seems that the situation is becoming worse. As reported, more people will die if the state machinery does not become serious enough to control this viral outbreak “Viral fever still out of control in Jajarkot” (THT, January 16, Page 6).

It seems that the district hospital; local level health service delivery outlets and other social service organisations have to collectively work to raise awareness among the people about the cause of the seasonal outbreak of diseases and taking necessary precautions in need of the hour.

Rai Biren Bangdel, Maharjgunj

Sad story

It is with reference to the Topics article “Life’s unfair vicissitudes” (THT, Online, January 16). I was taken aback by a grief that Shikha Bahety has percolated in her article. It is true that every moment in our life is so precious we do not know what may happen tomorrow. It doesn’t matter how young, robust, or healthy that someone looks the guaranty of life our life is not in place. We are hustling and bustling in this tiny speck of dust or if you will, a suburb of Universe. We have unfathomable egos, and unlimited greed for this fairly limited life like that of water bubbles. We are very selfish. We do not care about how we should behave in society that we live in. We feel like we are eternal and immortal and forget the value of this perishable element that constitutes our physical body to function for a time being. I would like to share one thing, that few months ago I invited my parents to come over Australia and meet us. My friends were telling me that I must have saved a lot of money to invite parents here. When I told them these things they went on to tell me: “Well, don’t bother calling everyone here. You need to save money to buy a house in Australia.” I told them money doesn’t matter to me; what all matters is memory. The time shared with family in Australia will matter the most because I have been living here in Australia for more than a decade. I do not want continue to live my life alone.

Shiva Neupane, Melbourne