BMD

LOCAL authorities in several COVID-19 hotspots of Nepal have been scrambling to manage oxygen and intensive care beds with the second wave of pandemic. Many people are dying from this contagion daily in lack of life-saving oxygen.
We are witnessing a medical catastrophe. More than 8,000 new infections and around 200 deaths have been reported every day in the country. Several public and private hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of country are overwhelmed. They have announced not to admit additional patients. This indicates another grim scenario that even the patients in a serious condition are forced to stay in home isolations. It means that many such patients are passing away in their homes.
Health services in private hospitals are so expensive that common people cannot afford to pay. However, the private facilities have been playing an important role in the treatment of the COVID-19 patients in this critical hour.
This disaster must be taken as a wake-up call for upgrading the nation's healthcare system. If we had a robust national health system, we would not have passed through this type of situation. However, the nation must feel proud of the dedicated and hardworking healthcare professionals. Without their devotion and patience, it would be more difficult for the country with the underfunded healthcare system to handle the pandemic.
The federal and provincial governments have also accorded topmost priority to managing oxygen and other essential health services to deal with this emergency. The federal government has already appealed to the international community to extend their necessary support to Nepal in its fight against the unseen enemy.
In the wake of its plea, many international development partners and donors have started lending their helping hand to Nepal. China has given 20,000 oxygen cylinders and other medical supplies. The European Union (EU) has followed suit. The United States of America (USA) and several other friendly nations have also pledged their assistance to the country in this difficult situation.
No doubt, India could support Nepal massively. But India has been going through a very difficult situation owing to a rapid transmission of the virus disease. So, we cannot expect much help from the southern neighbour right now. A lot of Nepalis staying and working abroad have also left no stone unturned when it comes to helping their homeland in this challenging time.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has mobilised all its missions abroad for collecting medical supplies and lobbying for vaccines. They are expected to be successful in their endeavours as the country is now in dire need of international support.
Vaccination is the only solution to this unprecedented problem. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has lately expressed its serious concern over a faster transmission of COVID-19 in Nepal and called for global emergency aid to fight the pandemic. The WTO’s Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that Nepal's situation has become as serious as that of India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt. He also expressed his commitment to extending necessary help to Nepal in all possible ways.
In her recent tweet, United Nations National Coordinator for Nepal Sara Beysolow Nyanti has also urged the WHO to make available vaccines to the country immediately. The government must strike while the iron is hot. It should be able to muster global support to acquire vaccines and other medical equipment as early as possible.