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Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring, Nepal

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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: June 2, 2021 Kathmandu, Nepal EMERGING THEME(S) • 800,000 of 1,000,000 doses of vaccine provided by China arrive in Nepal; Director of Sukraraj Teku Hospital wants vulnerable Chepang and Raute communities to be the priority for vaccination; next vaccination drive from June 8 • 5,285 new COVID-19 cases, 68 fatalities reported on June 1; mucormycosis seen in more than 10 COVID-19-infected, says Health Ministry; number of COVID-19 cases has reached 213 in Barpak, Gandaki Province to mobilize more healthcare workers for the remote village • Social stigma attached with COVID-19 making it difficult for healthcare workers to convince Lumbini rural folk to go for tests • Budget earmarked for COVID-19 vaccine procurement not enough for 60-70 per cent of population that will be needed to be inoculated to protect citizens from the third wave, say experts • Cyber sexual exploitation and harassment has gone up since imposition of prohibitory order: Central Cyber Bureau; cases of violence against women have also surged • Health Ministry has ordered all hospitals to reveal fees and charges levied on patients within the next 7 days • Nepali Congress to start ‘Health Equipment Facilitation Campaign’ with biomedical engineer to fight COVID-19 pandemic 1 This 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 2 RECURRING THEME(S) • Investigation committee has submitted report on the Bheri Hospital vandalization and beating up of healthcare staff to Chief District Officer of Dang ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS The 800,000 of 1,000,000 doses of vaccine that China gave Nepal under grant assistance arrived in Nepal on June 1 on a Nepal Airlines plane. The remaining 200,000 doses will be provided by the Tibet government.2 Dr Sagar Rajbhandari, Director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku has said the people from high risk community and backward in terms of health services should be the priority while giving the COVID-19 vaccine that Nepal is getting from different nations. He has advised that the people from Raute and Chepang communities, who do not tend to follow health protocols, should be the priority.3 The government has decided to start the next round of vaccination drive from June 8 — the 10,000,000 doses of vaccine Nepal is receiving from China under the grant assistance will be used in this drive.4 The Nepal Veterinary Association has asked the government to put its members on the priority list while providing the COVID-19 vaccine.5 Nepal reported 5,285 new COVID-19 infections and 68 fatalities on June 1, taking the death tally to 7,454.6 2 Setopati 3 Onlinekhabar 4 Setopati 5 Baarhakhari 6 THT Online WHE Communications Intelligence 3 According to the Ministry of Health and Population, mucormycosis has been seen in more than 10 people in Nepal. It has been seen in COVID-19 infected people.7 The number of COVID-19 infected people has reached 213 in Barpak of Gorkha.8 After staying for three days in Barpak of Gorkha, where the COVID-19 infection has been spreading, a team of healthcare professionals sent by the Gandaki Province has returned. However, the Province is preparing to mobilize more healthcare workers for Barpak who will stay there for a week and treat the locals there.9 The COVID-19 infection rate was highest on May 10 — it was 50.35 per cent. The infection rate was only 27.24 per cent on May 31. However, health experts have said this reduction does not mean the chain of infection has been broken, and that though the infection has declined in urban areas, it is yet to reduce in rural areas.10 In the rural areas of Lumbini Province, the local authorities are having a tough time convincing coronavirus suspects to undergo COVID-19 tests. The social stigma associated with COVID-19 and fear of the disease has led the local people to hide their health condition from their neighbors and even family members. Due to the social stigma surrounding COVID-19 patients and fear of hospital visits during the pandemic, coronavirus suspects postpone getting tested and treated, according to healthcare workers. This is also what is leading to community transmission of coronavirus in rural villages of Lumbini.11 The elderly citizens in Lumbini, waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, have lost hopes. Among the nearly 300,000- strong population of the Province, the majority of those waiting for the second dose are elderly citizens.12 Around 60 to 70 per cent of the population needs to be inoculated before the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic so as to protect people from the pandemic. However, experts have argued that the amount of Rs 26,750,000,000 that the government has allocated for COVID-19 vaccine management will not be sufficient to inoculate the citizens. That’s because the budget has 7 Ratopati 8 Kantipur 9 Onlinekhabar 10 Kantipur 11 The Kathmandu Post 12 Kantipur WHE Communications Intelligence 4 been allocated based on an estimation that one dose of vaccine will be procured at US$4, like in the case of Covishield vaccine. However, the cost of Covishield costs more than US$10 per dose at present.13 At a time when the central government is struggling to procure COVID-19 vaccines, the local levels have taken initiatives to buy the vaccines on their own. However, the central government has denied permission to the local levels for the said procurements.14 Nearly three dozen cases of cyber harassment have been registered via phone calls at the Central Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police in the past one month since the prohibitory orders were enforced, according to Superintendent of Police and Spokesperson of the Cyber Bureau Anand Aryal. We have got complaints of online sexual exploitation and harassment including threats and blackmailing after the second wave of COVID-19 in which offenders have been from inside the country as well, he said.15 Violence against women has increased in Nepal during the period of prohibitory orders issued in the country. Fifty cases of domestic violence and 14 cases of other kinds of violence have been filed at the National Women Commission in just the past month.16 The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has ordered all government, community and private hospitals to reveal their treatment cost within seven days. The MoHP has said it has received complaints of hospitals charging exorbitant fees for treatment amidst the pandemic, charging exorbitantly for oxygen, and adding financial burden on patients by asking them to do unnecessary tests among others.17 13 Kantipur 14 Ratopati 15 The Kathmandu Post 16 Nayapatrika 17 Onlinekhabar WHE Communications Intelligence 5 The Nepali Congress will start a ‘Health Equipment Facilitation Campaign’ with biomedical engineers to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be a volunteer effort.18 The investigation committee has submitted its report regarding the beating up of healthcare workers at the Bheri Hospital to the Chief District Officer of Dang Shivaram Gelal. The process for future action will begin after studying the report, Gelal has said.19 Healthcare workers from different health institutions of Dang staged a protest demanding action against people attacking healthcare workers at the Bheri Hospital.20 OTHER(S) National News HOSPITAL and HEALTHCARE FACILITIES The number of COVID-19 patients has decreased in the Provincial Hospital Janakpur, but the demand for oxygen has increased. The caretakers of COVID-19 infected patients put pressure on the hospital to use oxygen support despite patients having good oxygen levels. This has increased the demand for oxygen, as per the hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Pramod Kumar Yadav.21 18 Onlinekhabar 19 Setopati 20 Setopati 21 Annapurna Post WHE Communications Intelligence 6 A private hospital in Butwal — Edmund City Hospital — has started a 50-bed COVID-19 hospital.22 The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has said it will not start additional treatment centers with oxygen support immediately as the COVID-19 infection rate is going down. It has stated that COVID-19 patients comprise only 20 per cent of the total patients in hospitals that have come into the operation, which is why there is no need for additional treatment centers.23 The oxygen plant installation has been completed at the District Hospital Bajhang. It can produce 160-240 liters of oxygen per day.24 The treatment of COVID-19 infected has started at the COVID-19 Unified Central Hospital, in the new surgical building of Bir Hospital. The treatment has started from 50 beds of the hospital that has a capacity for 501 beds.25 The government is set to arrange for an oxygen plant, ICU and other necessary things in the COVID Care Unit in the building of Manamohan Medical College in Dahachok of Kathmandu.26 A 334-bed COVID hospital will come into operation at Chandragiri Municipality of Kathmandu.27 The Ministry of Health and Population has decided to bar people other than specified persons of the government from talking about the COVID-19 pandemic along with other subjects related to public health with the media.28 Chief Minister of Karnali Province Mahendra Bahadur Shahi has said they will provide the risk allowance to healthcare workers including doctors in a lump sum.29 The District Health Office Lalitpur has said that Godavari Municipality has remained ahead in the district in the management of 22 Onlinekhabar 23 Setopati 24 Setopati 25 Baarhakhari 26 Ratopati 27 Ratopati 28 Baarhakhari 29 Setopati WHE Communications Intelligence 7 COVID-19 infected people and the control of the infection at the community level.
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