Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring, Nepal Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring Nepal1 -Sharpening the COVID-19 Response through Communications Intelligence Date: May 18, 2021 Kathmandu, Nepal EMERGING THEME(S) • Nepal reports 9,198 new COVID-19 cases, 214 fatalities on May 16; recoveries are rising — 6,648 on May 16, highest till date; infection rate in Kathmandu Valley, some urban centers have declined, but too early to say if infection has decreased nationwide as virus has spread to rural areas, according to Health Ministry • Weak health infrastructure in villages of Nepal could mean a looming disaster as COVID-19 infections could peak this week • Government to bring new ordinance to control COVID-19 pandemic; scrap Epidemiology and Disease Control Division and set up Center of Disease Control proposed; government hospitals in Kathmandu start COVID-OPD service • Government starts procurement process of 2,000,000 doses of Vero Cell from China; first 1,000,000 doses to arrive by first week of June • Sudurpaschim’s COVID-19-infected are the losers between the ego clash between federal and provincial governments; Province’s Butwal, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi have become COVID-19 hotspots • Province 1 facing shortage of COVID-19 test kits, reagents; Antigen Tests halted • COVID-19-infected have become more panicky, lost their strong willpower this time around, observe healthcare workers • Supreme Court has issued mandamus order to government to put an end to the dismal COVID-19 situation; SC’s Bar Association has slammed the government for negligence and inefficiency in its handling of COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in loss of many lives • Around 3,000,000 laborers have lost their livelihood as a result of the imposition of prohibitory orders 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) • No efforts being made to control, contain COVID-19 spread in Chiljhapati of Jagarnathpur • No contact tracing or collection of swabs for testing in Chandrapur Municipality due to shortage of equipment • Bir Hospital is an apology for a COVID-19 hospital; local levels actively working to set up COVID facilities, help the infected • Impossible to set up oxygen plants within 15 days’ time given by the government, say private hospitals • Fight against pandemic sees healthcare workers going beyond the call of duty; others extend helping hands ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS Nepal on May 17 registered 9,198 fresh COVID-19 cases and 214 fatalities in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. With this the total death toll has reached 5,215, and total infection 464,218. 2 The number of people recovering from COVID-19 has started to increase. The highest number of people — 6,648 — recovered on May 16. Those in critical state kept on ventilators have also been recovering and returning home. 3 The infection rate has decreased in Kathmandu Valley and some urban centers due to the prohibitory orders, according to Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, Spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population. However, as the infection has already spread in the rural areas, it’s early to conclude whether the infection has increased or decreased in the country, he clarified. 4 It will not be scientific to estimate that COVID-19 infection has decreased in the country on the basis of the data of a few days. There has been a decrease in the number of infections among the tests conducted, but this does not mean the infection has 2 THTOnline 3 Kantipur 4 Nagarik WHE Communications Intelligence 3 decreased overall. 5 The Ministry of Health and Population has said the coming few weeks will be more challenging for Nepal. It has asked people to be more careful, and be united and help one another during this time. 6 COVID-19 has been confirmed in 70 per cent of the tests done in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City in recent days. 7 In the past 10 days, 100 COVID-infected people have died in the COVID-19 hospitals of Rupandehi. The death rate has increased due to the shortage of oxygen and beds in the hospitals. 8 About 15 people are dying daily in the Gandaki Province — those who’ve lost their lives include COVID-19 patients staying in home isolation. Those staying in home isolation for a long time and reaching the hospital only after becoming critical are amongst those who have died due to the virus.9 Most of the citizens of Jhapa infected with COVID-19 are found to be staying in home isolation after testing positive and trying home remedies/cures. They bring oxygen cylinders home if they have breathing difficulty and visit hospitals only if no oxygen cylinders are available.10 Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province Trilochan Bhatta has tested positive for COVID-19.11 An 84-year-old woman from Nepalgunj has recovered from COVID-19. The woman and her son recovered while staying in home isolation. 12 Public health experts say coronavirus infections could reach peak in villages across the country this week but with weak health infrastructure in the villages, both in terms of equipment and human resources, this could only mean a looming disaster.13 5 Setopati 6 Setopati 7 Setopati 8 Nagarik 9 Nagarik 10 Baarhakhari 11 Onlinekhabar 12 Annapurna Post WHE Communications Intelligence 4 The government is set to bring an ordinance to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision has been made stating that it has become difficult to work for pandemic control with just the legal provisions in the Infectious Disease Act 2020, Local Administration Act 2028, and Public Procurement Act.14 A proposal has been made to set up the Center of Disease Control, and dismiss currently active Epidemiology and Disease Control Division in the ordinance.15 COVID-OPD service has started in the government hospitals of Kathmandu. The hospitals will send the infected patients home after undergoing check-up at the OPD, and those requiring oxygen will be administered in the OPD.16 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s admitted on May 16 that was wrong in believing that Nepalis’ immune system was strong enough to fight coronavirus. However, there are hardly any sincere efforts from the Oli administration to deal with the virus situation. The Oli administration is now groping in the dark. Instead of trying to step up some fundamental measures — contact tracing, testing and treating — and ensure enough beds and oxygen supply, it now thinks it’s the lack of laws that is hindering its COVID-19 fight. As such the government has decided to bring an ‘integrated’ law for effective coordination among various agencies and tackling some problems in purchasing medical supplies immediately, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali, also the government spokesperson.17 The Karnali Province government will provide nearly Rs 140,000,000 to Health Services Directorate for the control, and containment of COVID-19.18 The government has started the process to bring the Vero Cell vaccine from China by the first week of June. The Nepali Embassy in Beijing has been coordinating to procure 2,000,000 doses of the vaccine in the first phase. China has given its 13 The Kathmandu Post 14 Kantipur 15 Nayapatrika 16 Baarhakhari 17 The Kathmandu Post 18 Setopati WHE Communications Intelligence 5 assurance to provide 1,000,000 doses by the first week of June.19 The COVID-19 patients have been at the receiving end of the clash of egos of the representatives of the federal government and provincial government of Sudurpaschim Province. There is no dialogue between the representatives of these two governments and they lack coordination. However, Butwal, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi of the Province have become the hotspots of COVID-19 infection.20 Social Development Minister of Sudurpaschim Province Krishna Raj Subedi has said they were not able to make wise decisions on time which led to the shortage of oxygen in the Province. Had the oxygen plant been installed on time, there wouldn't have been the problem, he said.21 Province 1 has started facing shortage of kits used in COVID-19 testing and reagents. The Antigen Test has been stopped amidst the shortage. The COVID-19 tests will have to be stopped completely if there are no arrangements made for test kits and reagents within one/two days, as per the secretary of the Social Development Ministry of the Province.22 The willpower of COVID-19 patients has declined a lot this time, according to a nurse in the Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara. They fear dying, and some of the infected have died due to panic. Even the caretakers tend to get stressed if the patients have any kind of difficulty. In such a situation, healthcare workers have been counseling them to have a strong willpower pointing out that COVID-19 positive people who are eating properly, not stressing family members and not panicking themselves are recovering early.23 The Ministry of Health and Population has requested people to take care of their mental health in these times of increasing cases of coronavirus and deaths.24 19 Onlinekhabar 20 Kantipur 21 Setopati 22 Baarhakhari 23 Kantipur 24 The Himalayan Times WHE Communications Intelligence 6 The Supreme Court has issued an order of mandamus to the government to put an end to the situation where COVID-19 positive people are not getting treatment due to the shortage of oxygen, medicines and beds in hospitals.25 It has also issued an interim order to the Ministry of Health and Population to bring a detailed work plan related to the control and treatment of COVID-19 pandemic within seven days.26 The Bar Association of the Supreme Court has said that the government behaved carelessly instead of maintaining high alert regarding the control of the pandemic on time.