Kathmandu, September 7, 2005

Though the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Nepal has stopped visiting Royal Nepali Army (RNA) detention centres for about six months because of “some problems”, it has been imparting training to army officers on the International Humanitarian Law. Recently, two RNA officers were selected for doing a course on international military course on the International Humanitarian Law at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy, under the ICRC sponsorship, an ICRC official said. Other international organisations are sponsoring 15 RNA officers to do the same course. The ICRC official said the annual programme began a few years back. “The two-week course will begin from October-end,” RNA sources told this daily. The ICRC has been imparting training to RNA men inside the country as well. While a local consultant has been training the lower rank of the RNA on the law of the armed conflict, a New Delhibased expatriate instructor, who looks after South Asia, has been frequently visiting Kathmandu to impart training to senior RNA men. The ICRC official said the instructor spends at least two weeks for conducting training each time he visits Kathmandu. “The ICRC has not resumed visits to detainees kept in RNA custody because the working group, which comprises RNA officers and ICRC delegates, is yet to sort out the problems,” said the ICRC official. The ICRC suspended the visits, saying the delegates couldn’t work under the ICRC modalities.

Suswasthya launched to address chronic diseases

Deurali Janta Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd (DJPL), a leading pharmaceutical company in Nepal, has announced the launch of a new division — Suswasthya, aiming at producing medicines for chronic diseases. The company today unveiled the division at a programme with a new range of medicines for chronic diseases. “The Suswasthya at DJPL is a systematic care division,which produces a complete range of medicines for chronic diseases like cardio vascular and neuro-psycho tropic problem as well as other chronic diseases,” said Hari Bhakta Sharma, chief executive director of DJPL. According to him, DJPL is launching a new division after two years of vigorous research and development for producing medicines to cure chronic diseases in the country. “We expect that ourproducts will help to substitute import of medicines for this category to some extent,” he said. The company currently produces 25 different medicines (eight brands) under the Suswasthya division. “This is probably the first of its kind in Nepal to produce a systematic range of medicines for chronic diseases,” Sharma added. DJPL started commercial production of various allopathic medicines since 1992.