________________________________________ NEPAL PLAYS MALDIVES 23 AUG. IN OPENER OF NEHRU CUP IN NEW DELHI Kathmandu, 7Aug.: Nepal plays Maldives in its opening fixture of the Nehru Cup 23 August at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Nepal is participating for the firs time in the tournament from 22 August to 2 September.. Nepal plays African state Cameroon 26 August, host India 28 and Syria 30 August.. The final will be held on September 2. nnnn. HIGH PREVELANCE OF FAECAL COLIFORM IN CAPITAL’S WATER SYSTEM Kathmandu, 7 Aug.; Do you use tap water for drinking purpose? If you do, better boil it for about seven minutes or do double filtering or treat it with chlorine to make it drinkable, Laxman Mararjan writes in The Himalayan Times. A bacteriological analysis conducted by the National Public Health Laboratory shows seven in 10 households (70 per cent) in the Valley are receiving water that contains high levels of coliform bacteria which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting. After cholera cases were confirmed in some areas in the Capital, the Kathmandu District Public Health Office collected water samples from Teku, Bhimsenthan, Kalimati, Swoyambhu, Gaushala and Chhauni, and sent them to NPHL for bacteriological analysis. Though none of the samples contained vibrio cholerae strain, which causes cholera, results for faecal coliform were startling. The lab tests conducted under Most Probable Number method showed tap water in seven out of 10 houses contained more than 180 faecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml, and drinking such water without treatment could pose serious health hazard. The permissible number of faecal coliform in drinking water should not go beyond five per 100 ml. “It is an alarming situation,” said Mahendra Prasad Shrestha, Chief of DPHO, Kathmandu. Shrestha said samples were collected after more cholera cases were confirmed at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. Shrestha suggested that water supplied in Kathmandu is undrinkable and must be treated before drinking it. Coliform bacteria are found in digestive tracts of animals, as well as humans, and are found in their faeces. If ingested through contaminated food or water, they cause bacterial gastroenteritis, dysentery, jaundice, Hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and associated problems. Faecal coliform, like other bacteria, can usually be killed by boiling water or by treating it with chlorine. Washing thoroughly with soap after contact with contaminated water can also help prevent infections. The last identified case of cholera in Kathmandu was in the first week of July. However, cholera has claimed at least 12 lives in Doti and Gorkha since mid-June. Non-potable • Tap water in seven out of 10 houses in Teku, Bhimsenthan, Kalimati, Swoyambhu, Gaushala and Chhauni contaminated • More than 180 faecal coliform bacteria found in per 100 ml of water • Permissible number of faecal coliform in drinking water should not go beyond five per 100 ml • Coliform can cause gastroenteritis, dysentery, jaundice, Hepatitis A, typhoid fever nnnn JANAKPUR-JAYANAGAR ROLLS ON TRACK WITHOUT DRIVER Kathmandu, 7 Aug.: The only railway service in the country — the Janakpur-Jaynagar rail — has its own oddities, but today it belched out one more. It made Janakpur locals catch sight of a fright as a train engine rattled along the track and completed a 29-km journey all alone, even without the driver, Brij Kumar Yadav writes in The Himalayan Times from Janakpurdham. . This afternoon, the train was set to leave for Janakpur from Jaynagar. According to Er Saroj Kumar Hathi of the Loco Department, assistant driver Jagadish Khatwe, who was on duty, was putting oil when the engine just began to move without bogies. It usually takes two-and-a-half hours for the train to cover the 29-km Janakpur-Jaynagar stretch, but the engine sans driver completed the distance in 45 minutes, leaving everyone who caught the sight amazed and frightened. According to Hathi, the auto-speeding train engine could not be stopped on the way due to lack of technicians and necessary equipment. “When it reached Janakpur, we switched the engine to a damaged track where its wheels got stuck on the ground bringing the engine to a halt,” said Hathi. After receiving the information on the runaway train engine, CDO Basant Raj Gautam, and chiefs of local security bodies, along with security personnel in huge numbers, had reached the Janakpur station, which already had drawn locals in droves. Though no one was injured, today’s incident once again reflects how ill-managed the country’s only rail system is. Hathi said mobilising the six train drivers was his duty but added that he could not keep track of who was doing what. Passengers who were set to board the train were stranded in Jaynagar station but were happy to have avoided a deadly ride. Nnnn Govt embarks on recruiting 1,035 more women police 1,035 MORE WOMEN POLICE RECRUITS Kathmandu, 7 Aug.: As a measure to curb violence against women, the government has initiated a process to create 1,035 more vacancies for women in the Nepal Police, Korh Raj Koirala writes in Republica. Officials said an Office and Management (O&M) survey for the recruitment has already been finalized and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance (MoF). “The recruitment process will begin once approval from the finance ministry comes,” said a senior official at the Home Ministry. Currently, there are 3,457 women personnel in the Nepal Police which has a total strength of 60,130, including two DIGs, five SSPs, three SPs, 18 DSPs, 43 Inspectors, 142 Sub-Inspectors, 190 ASI, 639 head constables, 2,289 constables and 126 followers. Concluding that poor representation of women in the police force was one of the reasons behind violence against them, a committee headed by the chief secretary last year recommended the recruitment of some 2,200 additional women personnel. However, the plan could not materialize as the MoF did not give its nod. Recruiting additional women personnel is one of the components of the Home Administration Strengthening Plan unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Gachchhadar. “We are hopeful the proposal will get MoF nod this time,” said a senior official at the Home Ministry. Women rights activist Sapana Pradhan Malla, who worked as advisor to the Committee on Violence Against Women under the Prime Minister´s Office back in 2010, has lauded the government´s initiative. “We had proposed recruiting additional women to ensure there are women equipped with special knowledge and expertise at the women´s cells to deal with cases related to violence against women,” she said, adding that the proposal was first made by the Madhav Nepal government. Pradhan Malla argued that higher representation of women in the police can also help curb the incidence of violence against women personnel by their male counterparts. “Women police face different problems due to lack of adequate women personnel in the force,” she said. “Adequate representation of women can help address the problem of violence against women within the police organization.” Recruitment of women in government security agencies including the police was nomimal until the political change of 2006. Representation of women in security agencies increased considerably after the government adopted a policy of reservations for women in the recruitment process, amid calls by women´s interest groups for at least 33 percent women´s participation in all state structures. Govt planning vacancies for six more SPs The Home Ministry is planning to create an additional six vacancies for SPs. A proposal has already been forwarded to MoF for its approval, according to Home Ministry officials. This will bring the number of SPs in the police to 128. The proposal was made as per a ministerial decision to depute SP level officers as chiefs of the Regional Traffic Police Offices in the five development regions, currently headed by DSPs. Likewise, the Human Rights Cell at Nepal Police Headquarters will be headed by an SP once the proposal is approved. Nnnn UNIVERSAL HEALTH SCHEME IN OFFING Kathmandu, 7 April: The Ministry of Health and Population has prepared the first draft of its universal health insurance policy, which aims at providing healthcare services for all families at an affordable cost, Rupak D. Sharma rites in Republica. Successful implementation of the policy, which will be the first of its kind in the country, will not only increase people´s access to healthcare services, but also reduce the burden posed by often huge healthcare bills, which tend to put a strain on spending on education, good nutrition and other kinds of consumption. • Premium of Rs 2,000 per family • Service free of cost for poor, targeted groups • Provides coverage of up to Rs 50,000 per year • Service can be availed from state-approved hospitals • National Health Insurance Fund to operate the scheme “Although the government has been spending millions every year to provide free treatment for various maladies, this subsidy approch has not been effective as it does not incorporate treatment for new kinds of disease. This is pushing up healthcare spending, which in turn is pushing well-off families to the verge of poverty while compelling the poor to remain incapacitated on their deathbeds,” says the proposed National Health Insurance Policy 2012, a copy of which has been obtained by Republica. To address this critical problem which is punching a hole in many pockets, the government is planning to roll out pilot schemes in selected areas on a voluntary basis within this fiscal year, an official of the health ministry told Republica on condition of anonymity. “The program would be extended throughout the country within five years of its launch, when enrolment in the scheme will be made mandatory for every family.” The scheme, according to the draft policy, is open to every family upon depositing a premium of Rs 2,000. “This rate is preliminary; gradually the premium amount would be collected on equity basis,” the draft policy says. Once the amount is paid, healthcare coverage for up to Rs 50,000 per year per family will be guaranteed. This means every family that makes an annual payment of Rs 2,000 would be entitled to healthcare services worth Rs 50,000 during the year. But targeted groups and people living below the poverty line would be exempt from the service charge, the draft policy says. “Besides, healthcare services that are currently being offered for free will continue to remain free,” the policy further says. The draft policy says policyholders can avail of services from all state-approved government, non-government, community and private health service providers throughout the country. “Payments would be made to the service providers on the basis of mutual agreement,” the draft says. To effectively operate the program, the draft proposes formation of an autonomous National Health Insurance Fund, which will be affiliated to the health ministry. The Fund, which will also work as an Insurance Pool, will, among other things, mobilize and allocate resources, develop healthcare packages and claims settlement mechanisms, rope in service providers, monitor implementation of schemes and settle disputes. The Fund will oversee different insurance units created at the district, municipality and village development committee levels. nnnn ________________________________________