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Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring, Nepal
Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring Nepal1
-Sharpening the COVID-19 Response through Communications Intelligence
Date: August 13, 2021
Kathmandu, Nepal
EMERGING THEME(S)
• Nepal reported 2,473 new COVID-19 cases, 32 deaths on August 12; possibility of COVID-19 patients infecting more
than one person has increased pointing at rapid spread of pandemic in coming days as Nepal’s reproduction rate of
COVID-19 is at 1.15; Chitwan might face a shortage of oxygen supply if infected get admitted to hospitals at current
rate; number of critical COVID-19 patients being admitted on the rise in Seti Provincial Hospital; number of patients with
seasonal flu has increased in Dhading Hospital
• Over 2 million Nepalis have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19; doctors advise those fully vaccinated to
strictly follow health safety protocols as even they can catch the virus; Tribhuvan University students appearing for
exams start getting vaccinated; people in Province 1 care homes being given Janssen vaccine; government aims to
vaccinate 200,000 persons per day, says State Health Minister Umesh Shrestha, 33 per cent of the population to be
inoculated by October 17
• Hundreds of thousands of Antigen Test kits close to expiry date as government fails to realize its plan to conduct over
25,000 tests a day
• Air Arabia and a private hospital arrange Rapid Diagnostic Test for passengers flying to UAE; Nepal government has
made no arrangements for the same
1This intelligence is tracked through manually monitoring national print, digital and online media through a representative sample selection,
and consultations with media persons and media influencers.
WHE Communications Intelligence 2ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS Nepal's coronavirus caseload reached 725,769 on August 12 with 2,473 more people testing positive for the infection in the past 24 hours, while 32 more fatalities were reported. Nepal's COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 93.3 per cent and the fatality rate at 1.5 per cent. The country's active COVID-19 case count is 38,180.2 The possibility of COVID-19 patients infecting more than one person has been increasing in recent days, and it is an indication that the pandemic could spread rapidly in coming days. The R-value (reproduction rate) of COVID-19 of the past few days has given a hint to this effect. The average R-value of Nepal is 1.15, while it is 1.0 in India. If the R-value is less than 1, it means the infection is decreasing.3 With an increase in the cases of COVID-19 infection in Chitwan, the district might face a shortage of oxygen. The District Health Office Chitwan has said that if the current rate of infected visiting hospitals continues, the oxygen produced by the hospital’s oxygen plant will not be sufficient to address the demand.4 The number of COVID-19 patients in critical conditions being admitted to the Seti Provincial Hospital has increased. The number of patients requiring ICU, ventilator, and oxygen support has increased.5 The number of fever patients visiting Dhading Hospital has increased in the last one week. Most of them turn out to be suffering from the seasonal flu. However, people visit hospitals only after treating themselves with medicines from pharmacies as they hesitate to visit the hospitals fearing getting infected with COVID-19. As such, sometimes, even those infected with COVID-19 are getting treatment only after becoming critically ill as they do not visit hospitals on time. 6 Five persons died from coronavirus and 680 new infections were diagnosed in Gandaki Province on August 11. 7 2 THT Online 3 Kantipur 4 Setopati 5 Onlinekhabar 6 Nagarik 7 The Himalayan Times WHE Communications Intelligence 3
More than 2,000,000 Nepalis have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19. They have taken either the Covishield, Vero Cell, or Janssen vaccine doses. The demand for COVID-19 vaccines is very high in the country. Doubts have been cast on the efficacy of the vaccine with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. However, Dr Sher Bahadur Pun has said we should not be confused by the vaccine’s efficacy — the vaccine is the major alternative to control of the spread of the infection at present.8 Stating that those who have taken both doses of COVID-19 vaccine can also get infected with coronavirus, the doctors have requested people to follow all public health protocols. They have advised that even after getting vaccinated, one needs to follow the health protocols to keep oneself and others safe. 9 The government has started vaccinating students of the Tribhuvan University on the basis of their admit card from August 12, and the vaccination will continue till August 14.10 People living in care homes are being vaccinated against COVID-19 in Province 1. The Johnson& Johnson vaccine is being given to the people living in Manav Sewa Ashram and other such care homes.11 The government plans to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to 200,000 citizens per day, as per State Minister for Health and Population Umesh Shrestha. He also informed the House of Representatives that a total of 55,000,000 doses of vaccine are required for complete vaccination of all Nepalis.12 A total of 33 per cent of the population will be inoculated by the end of Asoj (October 17), as per State Minister for Health and Population Umesh Shrestha.13 The members of the House of Representatives have urged the government to not wait till Chaitra (March-April 2022) to bring the COVID-19 vaccines. They have said there is more movement of people during festivals like Dashain and Tihar and asked 8 Nayapatrika 9 Nagarik 10 Onlinekhabar 11 Baarhakhari 12 Baarhakhari 13 Setopati WHE Communications Intelligence 4
the government to complete vaccination before Dashain. Otherwise the country might face a dangerous third wave of the pandemic, they said.14 State Minister for Health and Population Umesh Shrestha has said Nepal received 9,700,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine during the tenure of the previous government. During the meeting of the House of Representatives, he informed that out of the doses received only 4,200,000 persons had been inoculated. With the formation of the new government, the number of people inoculated has reached 7,500,000, he informed.15 The vaccination of tourism entrepreneurs and laborers of Pokhara began from August 12. The tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara had taken a stand of not starting their business without getting the vaccine. 16 Various umbrella organizations related to tourism have demanded COVID-19 vaccines for entrepreneurs, employees and staffers deputed on the frontline at tourism destinations within 30 days. 17 In the last week of May, the government sent around 1.7 million Antigen Test kits to different parts of the country with a view to ramp up tests in the light of the rising number of cases in the rural areas. The Ministry of Health and Population said it had plans to perform over 25,000 Antigen Tests a day. However, like any other government plan, it also seems to have remained in drawers. The number of tests per day hovers around just 5,000. Hundreds of thousands of Antigen Test kits are now close to their expiry just as the number of infections in communities continues to rise. “This is yet another bungling by our authorities. Had they stuck to their plan of conducting around 25,000 Antigen Tests every day, the situation would have been different,” said Dr GD Thakur, former director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.18 Air Arabia, in coordination with a private hospital of Nepal, has arranged for Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for passengers flying to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE government had made RDT at 14 Onlinekhabar 15 Onlinekhabar 16 Onlinekhabar 17 Rastriya Samachar Samiti (in The Himalayan Times) 18 The Kathmandu Post WHE Communications Intelligence 5
the airport mandatory before taking the boarding pass from August 7. Nearly 150 passengers were unable to fly on August 11
as TIA lacked this facility. With the arrangement of Air Arabia, it is planning to fly passengers from August 12.19
The government has made no preparations to conduct the Antigen Test to confirm COVID-19 infection. As such, 118 Nepali
youth were unable to fly to the United Arab Emirates on August 11 because they could not do the Antigen Test (rapid test) at
the Tribhuvan International Airport — the test at the airport has been made mandatory by the UAE government for those
entering the country. Only the government can do this test, but despite our efforts to ensure the test is conducted, the
government has not paid attention to it, a youth from Bara complained.20
OTHER(S)
National News
HOSPITALS & HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
The Dhaulagiri Hospital of Baglung, that had been providing quality service amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, has been facing
problems due to a lack of sufficient number of doctors. It does not have a medical officer, specialist doctor, and healthcare
workers as per the vacancy of the posts.21
The service of PCR test has stopped at the Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital of Rajbiraj since the last 11 days as the only
PCR machine of the district has broken down.22
19
Nagarik
20
Nayapatrika
21
Onlinekhabar
22
Setopati
WHE Communications Intelligence 6An oxygen plant with an investment of nearly Rs 15,000,000 has been set up at Hetaunda Hospital. The test production began on August 11. It is said to produce 115 cylinders of oxygen per day.23 The production of oxygen has begun in the oxygen plant of Arghakhanchi Hospital. It can fill 70 big cylinders in 24 hours and the healthcare workers there are happy as this will be helpful in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.24 An amount of Rs 30,000,000 provided by the federal government to set up an oxygen plant at the Mechi Provincial Hospital of Jhapa has been frozen. The hospital had called for tenders and a vendor had applied but it expressed inability to complete the work within the last fiscal year. As such the process to set up the plant could not be started. 25 The Sudurpaschim Provincial government as well as the public gave financial support to the Tikapur Hospital of Kailali to set up an oxygen plant there. An agreement has also been made with the contractor to set up the plant within 30 days. Yet no work has been done and there is no idea on when the plant will be set up.26 ‘WHERE IS YOUR MASK?’ CAMPAIGN Nepal Police have speeded up ‘Where is your mask?’ campaign in Pokhara. It distributed masks to the pedestrians, drivers, and others on the streets without masks and motivated them to wear masks.27 Chief District Officer of Jumla Bijay Kumari Prasai has been distributing masks to the public on the streets. She has come out on the roads with masks with an appeal to the people to stay safe and protect others from the third wave of COVID-19.28 The District Administration Office Kathmandu has started inspection of different places to check if people are wearing masks. Those who were not wearing masks when in public places have also been penalized. 29 More than 1,000 applications are made daily to get the vaccination card with QR code. However, the Department of Health 23 Kantipur 24 Nagarik 25 Setopati 26 Setopati 27 Annapurna Post 28 Nagarik 29 Onlinekhabar WHE Communications Intelligence 7
services have been distributing only 100 cards per day from amongst those applied online. Lack of sufficient manpower has led to the delay in the distribution of the cards. Likewise, people who are planning to go abroad are forced to stay in lines at hospitals to validate their vaccination cards — such lines are long and crowded. The public also need to stay in long lines to get the MRP passport as the number of people applying for the passport has increased by five times. Despite the risk of COVID-19 pandemic, such long lines are seen in places of providing public services.30 The Rani border checkpost of Biratnagar has reopened after nearly one-and-a-half years. It has partially reopened from August 11 after the movement of people via secret routes without following health protocols increased due to the shutting down of this checkpost.31 A team led by Balananda Sharma, chief of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center, has inspected the border area of Birgunj. It has also checked the under-construction holding center of Birgunj checkpost.32 The budget sent by the federal government to set up permanent health desks at 11 checkposts on the Nepal-India border has been frozen in some local levels as they have not started the work yet.33 Lalitpur Metropolitan City has said it will provide Rs 120,000 as relief to the family of those who have died due to COVID-19.34 Lawmaker Gagan Thapa has raised a question on the restriction on vehicular movement after 8:00 pm in Kathmandu Valley. Where is the study done on the possibility of the increase of infection in the nighttime and decline in the morning, he questioned. The restriction is coming into effect from August 12. He also pointed out the government's weakness on the management of vaccination centers.35 30 Kantipur 31 Nagarik 32 Onlinekhabar 33 Baarhakhari 34 Onlinekhabar 35 Setopati WHE Communications Intelligence 8
The prohibitory orders have been extended till August 21 with stringent measures put in place in Baglung.36
The Supreme Court has ordered the government to monitor and regulate the exorbitant charge taken during the treatment of
patients infected with COVID-19. It has told the government to implement the orders within three months.37
Pakistan has given healthcare equipment — ventilators and breathing equipment — worth Rs 19,000,000 to Nepal to help in its
fight against COVID-19.38
International News
Vaccination centers across the Philippine capital Manila are trying to speed up inoculation rates, including by staying open 24
hours, to help combat a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections linked to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.39
36
Baarhakhari
37
Onlinekhabar
38
Ratopati
39
Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post)
WHE Communications Intelligence 9Contacts for further details Dr Sunoor Verma Strategic, Risk and Crisis Communication Consultant World Health Organization, Country Office for Nepal sverma@who.int sunoorv@gmail.com Ms Tsering Dolkar Gurung NPO (Communication, Media and Public Information) World Health Organization, Country Office for Nepal gurungt@who.int WHO’s COVID-19 response in Nepal is made possible through the generous support of the Government of Azerbaijan, the Government of Canada, UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), Government of Germany, and USAID. Reference Code: 21AUG13MM_006 WHE Communications Intelligence 10
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