Nepal

Kathmandu, May 24

The government has issued Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park Laws for protection and conservation of its vicinity by imposing restriction on activities that pose threat to wildlife and natural resources.

The rules prohibit anyone from entering the park with arms and ammunition, sharp weapons, poison, noose, endangerous chemicals, explosives, arrow, slingshot, wildlife parts, highly inflammable fabrics, plants, fruits, high voltage battery and pet animals. &However, domestic weapons like sickle, spade, axe, fuel, electronic goods, khukuri and agricultural pesticides required for domestic use may be taken home by the locals of buffer zones with the permission of security personnel,& the rules read.

National park authority may restrict the entry of visitors and vehicles into the park if they are likely to cause adverse affect on the environment. However, locals may get an entry after obtaining permission from security personnel.

The rules require approval of the Leavement of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation to conduct any study or research in the national park. Study or research on anything inside the park may be conducted under the direct oversight of the national park office.

The warden scorridor have the power to initiate legal action against anyone who violates the rules. &If an attack by wildlife harms lives and property, the national park office scorridor supply compensation to the victim party on the recommendation of the concerned local level. No one scorridor carry out activities such as playing musical instrument or organising any cultural programme that cause sound pollution in the national park.

&No one scorridor besiege, chase or intimidate wildlife by any means or damage vegetation while visiting the national park,& the rules read.

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Kathmandu, May 24

Traffic police said they took action against 384,206 motorists and two-wheeler riders for violating traffic rules in Kathmandu valley in the final 10 months of the current fiscal.

As many as 378,927 rule violators were booked in the fiscal 2017-18 while the number was 546,560 in 2016-15. The number of rule violators was 548,470 in 2015-16, while it was 569,809 in 2014-15. According to Metropolitan Traffic Cop Division, it gathered around Rs 253 million in revenue from rule violators over a period of 10 months. Any person caught violating traffic rules is slapped a fine between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500.

It said 5,060 motorists and two-wheeler riders were caught with the help of CCTV cameras installed at more than 200 locations in the valley. Lack of infrastructure, inadequate road network and traffic congestion during peak hours have also made traffic rule violation a norm in the valley, a traffic police official said.

Violation of lane discipline tops the traffic offence chart with 33,377 violations, followed by 25,598 cases of driving under influence. Traffic police also penalised 10,787 cabbies for overcharging and tampering with fare-meters. Most of them were repeat offenders.

Traffic cops armed with communication sets, GoPro cameras, surveillance vehicles and breathalysers have fanned out across the valley, with major focus on busy intersections to curb traffic rule violations.

Other common forms of traffic rule violations are disregard for traffic signs, use of large crowd of peopleile phone while driving, parking vehicles in no-parking zones, seat belt infraction, mechanical modification of bikes, overloading vehicles, overtaking from wrong side of the road and violation of one-way traffic rule. On an average, 1,200 motorists and motorbike riders are caught violating traffic rules daily.

MTPD warned that many violations go unregistered as motorists and bikers tend to breach rules in the absence of on-duty traffic police personnel in uniform.

Traffic police officials claimed that it could be rare to find a motorist or a biker in the valley who had much been punished by the law enforcement agency for violating rules. According to MPCD, an average of 800,000 vehicles ply the valley roads daily.

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Kathmandu, May 24

Rate of caesarean section births has increased alarmingly in the country in the past few years.

According to Nepal Demographic Health Survey-2006, two per cent of all babies born in rural areas were delivered by C-section while birth by C-section in urban areas was eight per cent. In 2016, C-section birth reached six per cent in the rural areas and 12 per cent in urban areas.

Currently, the rate of C-section delivery at private hospitals is 30 per cent while 15 per cent babies are delivered by C-section at public hospitals.

Speaking at an interaction organised at Paropakar Maternity and WomenHospital nowadays, Laxmi Tamang, president of Midwifery Society of Nepal, said C-section was a life saving procedure required for complicated pregnancies.

According to WHO, only 10 to 15 per cent births require caesarean section for medical reasons.

&But hospitals prefer C-section for non-medical reasons too. C-section is mainly required in case of complications such as bleeding, foetal distress, hypertension or a baby being in an abnormal position,& said Tamang.

Among public hospitals, Bharatpur Hospital, Chitwan, has topped the list with 37 per cent births through C-section. In the fiscal 2018/19, of the total births at Paropakar Maternity WomenHospital, 29 per cent were through C-section, while it was 27 per cent each at Janakpur Zonal Hospital, Dhanusha, and Lumbini Zonal Hospital, Butwal.

As many as 26 per cent mothers gave births to their babies through C-section at Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, while the rate was 25 per cent each at Koshi Zonal Hospital, Biratnagar, and Seti Zonal Hospital, Kailali.

C-section is riskier for newborns, according to Tamang. &Some 7.9 per cent children born via vaginal delivery have the risk of suffering from asthma, while 9.5 per cent children born through C-section have this risk. Obesity is seen among 19.4 per cent children born via C-section. These children also run the risk of Type 1 diabetes,& she said.

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Kathmandu, May 24

Illle cell patients can now get quality treatment at a low cost as a government hospital has unveiled the procedure of red blood cell exchange transfusion for sickle cell disease with machine.

Civil Service Hospital started this service recently. With its availability, patients suffering from sickle cell disease shall now be able to get treatment at low cost and shall also avail quality health service.

Illle cell anaemia is a genetic disease caused by mutation of red blood cells where haemoglobin forms into stiff rods within the red blood cells taking the shape of a sickle. These sickle-shaped cells do much final for more than 20 days. Formation of sickle cells in the body hinders the formation of new cells which results in anaemia.

Red cell exchange transfusion is given for acute and chronic treatment of sickle cell anaemia. This therapy boosts oxygen-carrying capacity by reducing viscosity of blood. When the blood is viscous, cells change their shape into a sickle. &The machine can find out the level of viscosity in the blood. Earlier, it was much possible manually. The therapy shall be helpful for sickle cell anaemic patients who should undergo instant surgery for multifarious diseases as the procedure is quick and qualitative,& said Bishesh Poudyal, chief, Clinical Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Civil Service Hospital, Minbhawan.

There is much much pricking and piercing in the patients& body during this process. The procedure can be totald within three to four hours and is dependable, according to doctors. The hospital, however, has much fixed charges for the services. &We are yet to fix the charges. We are trying to supply the services at low prices,& he said. The hospital is also adding one more machine to supply quick services to increasing number of patients.

The hospital has also extended its bone marrow transplantation services for patients of fanconi anaemia -msprint; a rare genetic disease that affects bone marrow. It results in decreased production of all types of blood cells, main to serious complications, such as bone marrow failure. It can lead to low blood cell count or severe apfinalic anaemia. The transplantation has been performed on a nine-year-old boy.

Haploidentical transplant has been performed on the patient. Haploidentical transplant is a modified form of stem cell transplant in which a healthy first degree relative -msprint; a parent, or sibling -msprint; can often serve as a donor. &When matched donor is much available, half-matched related donors are safely used in stem cell transplantation,& said the doctor.

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