Kathmandu, March 24, 2006

Though implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) is a success in Nepal and saves thousands of lives every year since ten years, 60 per cent of health posts and subhealth posts in Nepal don’t have DOTS programmes, said Dr Pushpa Malla director of the National Tuberculosis Centre. Speaking on World TB Day today, Malla said, “Most TB patients are between 15 to 30 years and need Multi Drug Resistance treatment. This second phase of medication for TB patients started in five regions in 2005.” This year’s theme for World TB Day is “Actions for life: towards a world free of tuberculosis”. Dr Devendra Bahadur Pradhan, director of Nepal Tuberculosis Nibaran Sanstha — a group dedicated to eradicating TB — said public-private partnership needs to be boosted to achieve the Global Plan 2006-2015 to eradicate TB. State Minister for Health and Population, Mani Lama said Nepal has achieved the World Health Organisation target of 85 per cent treatment success rate and 70 per cent case detection rate. Lama gave a gold medal to WHO for its contribution, Ran Samudra Bam Puraskar certificates to programme officer of Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City Om Raj Paudel and Dhulikhel Community Hospital.

Government, NEA blame ‘extraordinary’ situation for load-shedding

Kathmandu, March 24, 2006

The Ministry of Water Resources and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) both have told the Supreme Court that loadshedding has been imposed due to an ‘extraordinary situation’ because of a high demand for electricity and low power generation due to low waterlevel in rivers. The Ministry and the NEA recently submitted separate written replies in response to show cause notices issued by the Supreme Court in a public interest litigation writ against the ongoing loadshedding. The Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet has urged the apex court to accept the explanations submitted by the Ministry and the NEA and sought the court’s order to nullify the petition. Secretary to the PMO, Diwakar Pant submitted the explanation. In an explanation, the Ministry’s secretary Mahendra Nath Sharma said the load-shedding scenario was lingering due to an extraordinary situation. NEA’s executive director Harischandra Shah, submitting the reply on behalf of the NEA, claimed that the alarmingly low level of water in the rivers was the reason for load-shedding and that the NEA was unable to cater to the high demand for electricity in the country. He also said the demand was growing each day but NEA could not keep pace with it as it was unable to generate sufficient electricity. The NEA also added that due to the water level in rivers it has failed to generate 4,80,000 units per day — which is 60 per cent lower generation quantum in winter than summer.