ACTRESS JESSICA KHADHA DEAD, COMMITS SUICIDE Kathmandu, 12 June Actress Jessica Khadha committed suicide and died at hr New Road residence; she was found hanging. She has acted in more than a dozen films and her last Jungle Queen is being released soon. One person has been arrested for questioning. Nnnn PRACHANDA, US ENVOY MEET Kathmandu, 12 June: Maoist Chairman Prachanda and outgoing US Ambassador Scott H. HeLisi held discussions on the current political situation. DeLisi has been transferred to Uganda as ambassador. Nnnn FURTHER DETAILS ON DEATH OF HEM BAHADUR MALLA Kathmandu, 12 June: Malla was 75. He was suffering lung, kidney and liver ailments. nnnn DETAILS OF SURYA BAHADUR THAPA’S HEALTH CONDITION Kathmandu, 12 June; Doctors at Norvic International Hospital, who were involved in the treatment of former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, have said that improvement of Thapa’s health condition has come as a medical miracle, The Rising Nepal reports.. Doctors were not hopeful initially as Thapa had come to the hospital in almost lifeless condition, the hospital said. Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Bharat Rawat said, "We are extremely happy with his progress." He is in full senses and in stable condition. He is able to sit in a chair and even walk briefly, Dr. Rawat said on Monday. Thapa has started eating on his own. "He is still in the heart command centre and on oxygen, he said. Thapa’s pulse and respiratory levels, blood pressure, heart beats and oxygen level were not visible when he came to the hospital at 10 am on Saturday. According Dr. Rawat, Thapa had suffered a cardiac arrest, a severe state of heart attack. "We could get his heart beats back only after using an artificial pacemaker," Dr. Rawat stated. Thapa is currently in a permanent pacemaker. Thapa had been living with hypertension and cardiac ailments for the last three decades. Noted for his strong willpower, Thapa would repeatedly say about his health, "I am living because of hope. Hope is a key medicine for a cardiac patient." Thapa’s power of hope might have played a miraculous role for his recovery, doctors involved in his treatment have said. Nnnn s PM PROMISES TO IMPLEMENT CONOMIC AGENDA Kathmandu, 12 June: Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai on Monday said that the government would focus on expediting the process of economic development and prosperity, The Rising Nepal reports. To expedite the pace of economic development and prosperity of the country, the government will forward projects of economic development and prosperity continuously despite the political volatility, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai said. He made the remarks at a meeting with carders of the UCPN-Maoist at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar today. While the opposition parties are allying against the government to restrict it from introducing new budget for the fiscal year 2012/13, the Prime Minister is determined to implement his plans of economic development despite political uncertainty. During the meeting with cadres, Premier Dr. Bhattarai said that the government was fully committed to accelerate the activities of economic development and prosperity and urged the party rank and file to support the same; Prashanta Lamichhane aide of the Prime Minister quoted him as saying. He said that there will be no dearth of resources for the projects of national pride declared by the government, and clarified that the government has focused its attention on completing such projects within the stipulated timeframe. Saying the Investment Board was formed for the development of the country, the Prime Minister said that the government was effortful in attracting investments from home and abroad for such projects. He added that the Investment Board was instructed to give continuity to the works of attracting national and international investments. He expressed the commitment that there will be no slowing down on economic agendas at any expense. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister inspected the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project located at Lamabagar of the Dolakha district. The government has declared the 456-MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project as a national pride project. During his inspection, the Prime Minister visited the dam site, headrace tunnel and other construction works of the project. Talking briefly to journalists after the visit, he pledged that the government will leave no stone unturned to complete the project on time. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Narayankaji Shrestha, secretary at the PM’s Office Lilamani Paudyal, and other officials. Nnnn PARENTS FAILING TO VACCINATE CHILDREN MAY BE FINED Kathmandu, 12 June: Parents beware! Failing to vaccinate your children properly may not only put young lives at risk, but may also cost you a hefty fine, Laxmi Maharjan writes in The Himalayan Times.. The Ministry of Health and Population is preparing to introduce a provision for vaccinating all children under the National Immunisation Bill-2069. The provision covers all vaccines that the government provides ‘free of cost under’ the national immunisation programme. Dr Shyam Raj Upreti, director of the Child Health Division at the Health Ministry, said the government is introducing the legal instrument for the protection of communities. The rule does not apply if the health status of the child does not allow vaccination against childhood diseases. But parents cannot deny vaccination to their children because they have to be equally responsible to the society, Upreti said. The parents have to see to it that they do not put other children in the community at risk by not vaccinating their children against various diseases. As per Nepal Health Demographic Health Survey-2011, 87 per cent of children aged between 12 and 23 months were fully immunised, about 90 per cent of children received DTP and 88 per cent of children received measles vaccination. The survey showed that about three per cent of children did not receive vaccination, while 10 per cent received some type of vaccine in their lifetime. “Although the coverage of vaccination is 87 per cent, remaining 13 per cent are still deprived of vaccination. They are a threat to the vaccinated population,” said the director, stressing the need to focus on the remaining 13 per cent population. According to the Bill, non-governmental officers, who fail to provide the qualitative vaccination service and vaccines, will have to pay up to Rs 25,000 as fine. The Bill also has provisions for punishing government and non-government staffers, who fail to follow international standards during the immunisation campaign. The government can impose a fine of Rs 50,000 on private companies at fault and can also scrap their licence. According to the Bill, a patient suffering from harmful effects of vaccination can move district courts for compensation, while anyone disrupting the immunisation campaign can be fined up to Rs 50,000. Upreti further added that the targeted population, including infants, children and women, have the legal rights to vaccination and that the government has to provide adequate vaccines and budget for national campaigns. The government should also form a ‘national vaccine council’ under the coordination of the health minister to draft various policies for immunisation, he informed. nnnn