Due to people´s reluctance, the much-hyped government campaign is all set to fail in the capital. [break]
Elephantiasis is the second major infectious disease after leprosy to cause permanent and long-term disability in the country and the government has committed to eliminate the disease by 2020 as part of its commitments to Millennium Development Goal (MDG). The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) launched the campaign in 32 districts including in the capital on Friday. The campaign that has already ended in other parts of the country wraps up in Kathmandu on Monday.
The District Public Health Office (DPHO) of Kathmandu said administering anti-elephantiasis drugs on people in Kathmandu is turning out to be a difficult task.
According to the Kathmandu DPHO, volunteers and health workers tasked with administering the drugs in the metropolis are complaining that they are unable to convince the people. "Health workers are trying their best to persuade the people to receive the medicine, but people are paying no heed," Chief of DPHO, Kathmandu, Krishna Bahadur Chand, said adding, "We cannot force it into their mouth."
He said health workers complained many people even did not open their doors to listen to health workers´ requests. The DPHO said it has mobilized additional health workers and volunteers including students of nursing colleges to administer the drug. Chand claimed that even employees working at the Singhadarbur have not received the drugs. "Some of our health workers have gone to administer the medicine on them but only some employees received it," he added.
The Public Health Department under the Kathmandu metropolis admitted very few people are participating in the campaign. The office estimated over 800,000 people living in KMC will receive the drugs in the campaign.
"Only our employees working in the KMC office have received the drugs," Kamala Ghimire, an employee working at KMC´s public health department, said. Nali Bajracharya, working at urban health clinic of KMC´s ward no. 30, said despite repeated attempts, they are not succeeding to administer the drugs. "People even do not tell us their names. When we persuade, others come and caution. And, they spit the medicine," she added.
Chief of public health department at KMC Dr Baburam Gautam said due to the negative publicity last year, people are scared of the drugs. Last year, five people died after receiving anti-elephantiasis drugs in the Banke district. But the report of the probe committee formed by the health ministry said that the deaths were not caused by the drugs.
Dr Gautam said that everyone above two years of age, excluding pregnant women and people with any kind of diseases, should receive the drugs.
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