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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: May 26, 2021
Kathmandu, Nepal
EMERGING THEME(S)
• Nepal reports 8,387 new COVID-19 cases, 169 deaths on May 25; 49 Bal Mandir kids test positive; infections declining
in hotspot Birgunj, remote villages of Panchthar emerging as hotspots; Bhangaha of Mahottari sealed after more than 50
COVID-19 cases found
• Government making preparations to declare health emergency to suppress protest activities, Ministry of Health and
Population has tabled a proposal for it on the advice of health experts; jail time and hefty fine for Valley’s COVID-19
Crisis Management Ordinance flouters; ex Lieutenant General Balananda Sharma appointed Chief of COVID-19
Crisis Management Center
• Prohibitory orders in Kathmandu Valley extended by one more week, more stringent provisions to be in place
• Government has started initiative to procure 10,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from US and UK; importing
vaccine is the priority, says PM KP Sharma Oli
• Government to take a loan of Rs 31,600,000,000 for the treatment of COVID-19 patients
• Not just equipment and infrastructure, Nepal lacks technical human resources to run critical care and intensive units
• COVID-19 infections force Gandaki farmers to work fields on their own, lending no help or workers to neighbors,
receiving none as is traditionally practiced leading to questions about future of food security; Myagdi farmers start paddy
planting donning masks
• Wall Street Journal article gives new details lending fresh impetus to ‘lab leak’ theory regarding COVID-19 origins
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 2RECURRING THEME(S)
• Valley’s poor worry about food as government mulls extending prohibitory orders by another week
• Dolpa doctors warn of stopping all medical services if they are not paid risk allowance and other facilities fixed
by the government
• Education Minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha rules out Secondary Education Examinations this year too
ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS
Nepal on May 25 reported 8,387 new cases of coronavirus infection from across the country. With this, the nationwide
coronavirus infection count has climbed to 528,848. Likewise, total fatalities have climbed to 6,700 as 169 more deaths were
reported from across the country.2
COVID-19 has been confirmed in 49 children of Bal Mandir, residing at Siphal and Naxal. It was confirmed after the children
were tested when those above five years of age started showing mild symptoms.3
Birgunj, the hotspot of the second wave of COVID-19 infection, is seeing a decrease in rate of infections currently, which has
come down to 31 per cent. It was about 70 per cent about three weeks ago.4
The remote villages of Panchthar have started to become COVID-19 hotspots. The infection has spread rapidly in all eight
local levels of the district.5
The Bhangaha Ward of Mahottari district was sealed on May 25 after more than 50 COVID-19 infected persons were found in
2
THT Online
3
Onlinekhabar
4
Annapurna Post
5
Setopati
WHE Communications Intelligence 3the ward.6 The rate of COVID-19 infection has decreased in Beni Bazar of Myagdi, but has increased in the rural areas. The infection is being confirmed in about 85 per cent of the tests done in rural areas.7 Taplejung has seen the highest number of deaths — nine — due to COVID-19 among the mountainous districts of the country. Some lost lives in ambulances while being taken out of the district for treatment, while some lost lives in home isolation. Lack of reliable treatment facilities, healthcare workers, ICUs, ventilators and oxygen is the reason for these deaths. 8 People in the age group of 40-60 years are the worst affected by COVID-19 pandemic in Banke. COVID-positive people of this age group are the highest to have succumbed to the virus.9 The Ministry of Health and Population has said that one can get sufficient oxygen needed for the body even after wearing a mask. It has also urged the public to not to believe in rumors while emphasizing that wearing a mask controls virus transmission and protects an individual wearing it.10 The government is making preparations to announce a health emergency in order to suppress all protest activities against it. The Ministry of Health and Population has put forth a proposal for it. According to Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi, the Ministry has moved ahead with the proposal after suggestions made by health experts.11 Health emergency is the legal measure a government can adopt to control any pandemic when it has reached its peak. The government can mobilize health resources and human resources of the private sector via one-door policy under the emergency situation. However, health experts have analyzed that it won’t be an effective move for the government to impose an emergency at a time when the infection rate has somewhat stabilized in the country.12 The Kathmandu District Administrative Office has directed the authorities concerned in the Capital to strictly implement the 6 Baarhakhari 7 Onlinekhabar 8 Annapurna Post 9 Nagarik 10 Baarhakhari 11 Kantipur 12 Baarhakhari WHE Communications Intelligence 4
COVID-19 Crisis Management Ordinance that the President issued last week. It means the government can prevent people from moving from one place to another and bar them from gathering in crowds. The ordinance stipulates that if anybody hinders the government authorities from implementing provisions of the ordinance, s/he shall face a jail term not exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding Rs 500,000, or both. It also stipulates that if anybody violates measures prescribed in the ordinance, s/he shall face a jail term not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding Rs 300,000, or both.13 Former Lieutenant General Balananda Sharma has been appointed the Chief of COVID-19 Crisis Management Center. The May 25 Cabinet meeting made the appointment.14 Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel has clarified that the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center has not been dissolved, rather it has been made stronger and better managed, he said.15 Frontliners have warned the nation will face a huge humanitarian crisis if the elections are conducted amidst the pandemic. They have pointed out that the election will invite the third wave of the pandemic and estimate the situation will be like that of India.16 The Ministry of Home Affairs is doing its homework to issue citizenship amidst the pandemic, and before the upcoming elections. It is set to distribute citizenship cards by descent to nearly 200,000 people via fast track— discussions are being made to make groups to distribute the citizenships to avoid crowds.17 The prohibitory orders with more stringent provisions have been extended for one more week in Kathmandu Valley. As per the decision, from May 28, grocery stores, dairies, cold stores and gas stores can be open till 9:00 am. However, department stores and local convenience stores won’t be allowed to open.18 The District Administration Offices of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur districts have urged the public to buy food items 13 The Himalayan Times 14 Onlinekhabar 15 Ratopati 16 Onlinekhabar 17 Kantipur 18 Onlinekhabar WHE Communications Intelligence 5
sufficient for a week within the next two days.19 The government has started an initiative to procure 10,000,000 doses of vaccine against COVID-19 from the US and the UK. The Ministry of Health and Population and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have corresponded with Johnson & Johnson of the US, and Oxford/AstraZeneca Biotechnology of the UK to procure 5,000,000 doses each.20 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the import of vaccines is the priority at present. In the first meeting of the COVID-19 Directorate Committee, which the PM chairs, he also directed the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center to swing into the action.21 Nepal has not received 2,600,000 doses of vaccine from COVAX and India — this is because all the vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) are being procured by the Indian government. Nepal had procured the vaccine from the SII. Likewise, the SII had committed to provide 100,000,000 doses of vaccine to COVAX by May, but it has provided only 9,900,000 doses as of now, and has said it will be able to provide the remaining doses by the end of the year only. 22 The Birgunj Metropolitan City has sought permission from the federal government to procure 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on its own.23 The government is set to take a loan of Rs 31,600,000,000 for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The World Bank has already provided Rs 3,400,000,000, while an agreement has been reached to provide an additional Rs 9,000,000,000 loan support for the management of vaccines, according to Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi. He also informed that the Asian Development Bank will provide a loan of Rs 19,200,000,000.24 Besides oxygen, hospital beds in the general ward, ICUs, ventilators and critical care medicines, Nepal also lacks human 19 Setopati 20 Nayapatrika 21 Onlinekhabar 22 Nayapatrika 23 Nagarik 24 Nagarik WHE Communications Intelligence 6
resources for the treatment of infected patients. We have sufficient doctors but do not have critical care and intensive care specialists, according to Dr Sulochan Lohani, who works in the ICU of Manmohan Memorial Hospital. In some hospitals health equipment like ventilators remain unused because there are no anesthesiologists to operate them. According to Nepal Society of Critical Care Medicine, technical human resources with years of experience are needed to run critical care and intensive units but they are not available in most of the hospitals throughout the country.25 This is a busy season for farmers of the Gandaki Province when they sow paddy seeds and remove weeds from corn fields, and so they help each other. However, it is a different situation now as farmers are not seen in the fields as almost all villages in the province have been impacted by the pandemic. The situation in the villages paints a gloomy picture of how the pandemic may affect food security and also the country’s economy. As everyone is getting infected, the old tradition of exchanging farm workers has been discontinued this year, according to Sita Adhikari of Kushma-10 of Pipaltari. As such most farmers are forced to work on their own due to fear of COVID-19 transmission.26 People in the high altitude areas of Myagdi have started paddy cultivation wearing masks and using hand sanitizers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.27 Three researchers from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November 2019, a month before China reported the first cases of COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal reported on May 23, citing a US intelligence report. The newspaper said the previously undisclosed report — which provides fresh details on the number of researchers affected, the timing of their illnesses, and their hospital visits — may add weight to calls for a broader investigation into whether the COVID- 19 virus could have escaped from the laboratory.28 The Kathmandu District Administration has indicated that the COVID-19 prohibitory orders that are in place in Kathmandu Valley will be extended for another week. People working in the unorganized sector who have little savings are the hardest hit. 25 The Kathmandu Post 26 The Kathmandu Post 27 Setopati 28 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) WHE Communications Intelligence 7
Over 70 per cent of the country’s population earn their livelihoods in the informal sector. Many of them are worrying about food
as they have run out of the little that they had bought, no money to buy more, no relief packages from the city governments,
and no work to help them earn to put something on the table.29
Doctors at the District Hospital in Dolpa have warned of halting all medical services and treatment for COVID-19 patients until
they are provided with the promised risk allowances and facilities. On May 24, the doctors released a written statement stating
that they would boycott regular duties unless their allowances and facilities fixed by the government are paid to them. 30
Education Minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha said on May 24 that there were slim chances of conducting Grade X examinations
Secondary Education Examinations this year too mainly because of the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases across the country.31
Tribhuvan University has requested all colleges and dean offices to arrange for examinations via alternative methods.32
OTHER(S)
National News
HOSPITALS & HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
The government is set to deploy healthcare workers who are on study leave and those who do not have classes at present for
the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Their work will be counted under the compulsory service tenure that medical students
29
The Kathmandu Post
30
The Kathmandu Post
31
The Himalayan Times
32
Onlinekhabar
WHE Communications Intelligence 8need to complete after completing their studies.33 The Western Regional Hospital has stopped its OPD service after the government instructed it to manage treatment of COVID- 19 patients there.34 The increase in the number of COVID-19 patients has created a shortage of ICU beds in the Mahakali Hospital of Kanchanpur.35 The COVID-19 test of Nepalis entering Nepal has been stopped at the health desk near Shankaracharya gate of Birgunj Sub-Metropolitan City due to the shortage of Antigen Test kits. More than 25 people are entering the country via the gate every day.36 As new coronavirus cases increase, local levels in Kanchanpur have established a COVID hospital. Bedkot Municipality has established a 10-bed COVID hospital in Mahendranagar Bazaar, Suklaphanta Municipality has brought a 15-bed COVID hospital into operation, Punarbas Municipality has converted an old building of Tribhuvan Basti Health post into a 15-bed COVID hospital with oxygen facility, Belauri Municipality has also brought into operation a COVID hospital with 50 beds and oxygen facility, while Dodhara Chandani Municipality has also treating COVID-19 patients in Dodhara Health Post.37 The Mahabharat Rural Municipality of Kavre has started a temporary COVID hospital there. 38 The residents of Thulung Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality of Solukhumbu have become happy after a temporary COVID hospital was established in the village.39 The leaders of different political parties organized a sit-in protest before the office of the Vice Chancellor of BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan demanding an effective treatment of COVID-19 patients at the hospital.40 33 Baarhakhari 34 Baarhakhari 35 Ratopati 36 Ratopati 37 The Himalayan Times 38 Onlinekhabar 39 Ratopati 40 Annapurna Post WHE Communications Intelligence 9
A 17-storey incomplete building at Radhe Radhe of Bhaktapur could be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients amidst the current crisis.41 Problems & Obstacles Forest and Environment Minister Prem Bahadur Aale has been accused of taking advantage of the crisis to promote himself — he has distributed oxygen cylinders to the Doti District Hospital and Seti Provincial Hospital with his photo and text stating that it’s his donation pasted on it. However, some people have pointed out that they are donated by China. Denying the accusation, Aale has said he bought them personally and distributed them to the hospitals.42 It is difficult to manage healthcare materials at the Sundarharaicha Municipality of Biratnagar that has been battling the pandemic. The biggest help that the federal government has given to it as of now are — one oximeter, two thermal guns, 10 PPEs, 50 pieces of N-95 masks and 500 surgical masks.43 The District Administration Office Kaski has put a stop to the free meal campaign of Bibeksheel Sajha party. It had been providing free meals to COVID-19 patients in the Western Regional Hospital.44 Problems have arisen after the supplier refused to provide food items to the two kitchens of Narayani Hospital where the meals for both COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers are prepared. The supplier has refused supply as the hospital is yet to clear a due of Rs 2,000,000. 45 DUTY & RESPONSIBILITES Dhangadi Sub-Metropolitan City has started testing people for coronavirus in the far-flung areas of the local levels. We have started testing with COVID-like symptoms for antigens beginning May 24, according to Health Inspector Lasmiraj Upadhyaya, who added that medication and counseling are also provided.46 41 Annapurna Post 42 Onlinekhabar 43 Onlinekhabar 44 Setopati 45 Onlinekhabar WHE Communications Intelligence 10
The local levels of Kavre have sped up contact tracing in the district, and this has proved to be useful in the control of COVID- 19 pandemic. The contact tracing has helped to identify infected people in the district while caution against virus has also increased, as per the healthcare workers there.47 The staff of Dhangadi Sub- Metropolitan City have started visiting the wards to conduct COVID-19 tests of residents there.48 The Sirijangha Rural Municipality of Taplejung is set to provide free ambulance service to COVID-19 patients there.49 Nepal Police have seized 192 litres of low quality sanitizer from two different places of Syangja.50 OXYGEN Forest and Environment Minister Prem Bahadur Aale has instructed the District Administration Office, Doti to immediately start the process to install oxygen plant in the district hospital.51 Different corporate houses and industries have proposed commercial production of oxygen cylinders that have been prepared under the leadership of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology within Nepal.52 The Bagmati Province government has started preparations to set up oxygen plants in all hospitals under its jurisdiction.53 The Non-Resident Nepali Association has decided to set up one oxygen plant in each province of the country. It also decided to appeal to the international community to provide anti-COVID vaccines to Nepal.54 46 The Himalayan Times 47 Kantipur 48 Setopati 49 Onlinekhabar 50 Baarhakhari 51 Onlinekhabar 52 Kantipur 53 Onlinekhabar 54 Ratopati WHE Communications Intelligence 11
HELP & AID A 27-year-old man from Surkhet has turned his auto-rickshaw into an ambulance and has been ferrying COVID-19 patients to and from hospital charging minimal fare.55 The construction of a bridge in Pokhara has continued by just using one oxygen cylinder. According to the laborers there, they have returned about eight cylinders and are just using one as there is need for the cylinders for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.56 Congress leader Kanchha Ram Tamang has given three ICU beds to the Tamakoshi Hospital of Manthali to help in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.57 Shanti Sewagriha has provided succor to hapless people and their families with food materials after they were stranded due to coronavirus in Bajura. They helped daily wage earners who lost their source of income.58 The Human Rights and Peace Society has started a campaign to collect oxygen cylinders to save lives. It has collected 10 cylinders and handed them over to Lumbini Province.59 In the past two weeks, the Jawalakhel Group of Industries has provided around Rs 20,000,000 to different hospitals across the nation for the procurement of oxygen, ventilators and other healthcare materials needed for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.60 The private sector has advised the government to give priority to health infrastructure and import of vaccines in the upcoming budget. It has suggested that the government introduce a budget that will make the COVID-affected economy more mobile for 55 Setopati 56 Annapurna Post 57 Kantipur 58 The Himalayan Times 59 Ratopati 60 Nayapatrika WHE Communications Intelligence 12
the improvement of the country's health system.61
International News
India crossed another grim milestone on May 24 with more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus, while a devastating
surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside. 62
The Indian government leaders appealed to farmers to call off a mass protest this week for fear it could prove a viral ‘super-
spreader’ event. Farmers have stirred fresh alarm by saying they will hold mass protests across the country on May 26 to mark
six months of their campaign against deregulation of agriculture markets.63
Singapore authorities have provisionally approved a COVID-19 breathalyzer test that aims to show whether someone is
infected with the coronavirus in under a minute, according to the local startup that developed the product.64
On May 24 Taiwan criticized what it called World Health Organization’s “indifference” to the health rights of Taiwan people and
for capitulating to China after the island failed to get invited to a meeting of the WHO decision-making body.65
61
Nayapatrika
62
The Associated Press (in The Himalayan Times)
63
Reuters (in The Himalayan Times)
64
Reuters (in The Himalayan Times)
65
Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post)
WHE Communications Intelligence 13Contacts 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, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Government of Germany and USAID. Reference Code: 21MAY26MM_17B WHE Communications Intelligence 14
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