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Cooperatives are not in the pink of financial health, again. A high-interest, low-risk business model floated to prospective depositors to draw their hard-earned savings has holes in it as it became clear during the first wave of the cooperatives crisis prominently featuring the Oriental Cooperatives et al.

It will be contextual here to mention Oriental for a number of reasons. First, it was the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic that capsized in the roiling waters of largely unregulated financing in 2013 amidst a housing crisis with deposits worth billions of rupees, belonging, by and large, to members of the general public. Secondly, per rumors mills spinning at that time, that firm had some very powerful leaders of equally powerful parties behind it. The claims that they had their not-so-well-gotten money stashed in that firm’s vaults may not be entirely untrue as none of the accused has bothered to come clean on a serious allegation like this.

Also, as it became evident that the firm was on the verge of collapse, one formidably powerful politician managed to withdraw his fortunes real quick, while thousands of other depositors had no such access. At that time, several other cooperatives went the Oriental way, with hard-earned money belonging to thousands of individuals. This crisis has caused untold miseries to the depositors and their heartbreaking sagas are yet to be written.  

The collapse of the cooperatives one after the other points at a serious systemic ill: The lack of a government regulator and the culture of impunity.  

Shockingly, a section of the ‘authorities concerned’ washes its hands of these firms. It believes that these firms lie in a gray zone. Their line of argument is that neither the firms fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Bank nor that of the Department of Cooperatives.

With friends in high places, it is but natural for them to have scant regard for commoners’ hard-earned savings. This hands-off attitude is also to blame for the cooperative crisis. 

What’s more, there’s a tendency to take the firms as a laundromat of sorts, used to turn black money into white. If such is the case, why can’t the government conduct a probe, prosecute the guilty and cleanse the whole damn system? Is it easier said than done or will it boomerang?  

Driven perhaps by this mindset, the government has done precious little (or has it?) to rein in these firms even after the sinking of the ‘Titanic’ and other vessels in the choppy waters of unregulated financing with billions of rupees belonging to not-so-powerful depositors. 

Even after robbing the depositors of their small fortune, those involved in the multibillion rupee scam are going scot-free, making a mockery of the government. The onus is on the government to end this culture of impunity for this serious white-collar crime and see to it that the depositors get their life’s savings back.

On June 12, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced that the United States, one of the five permanent members of the United Nations, will rejoin the agency in July, four years after its exit from the agency.

There’s no dearth of news reports featuring the United States, the global economic powerhouse and the sole superpower, on any given day. From the Russia-Ukraine war to strained relations with China and increasing bonhomie with India, the United States seems to be present everywhere around the globe. This is because the present world order is primarily US-led.

While the US is not a member of regional blocs like the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), or the European Union (EU), it wields significant influence in these groupings. As one of the five permanent members of the UN, the US has a vital role in effective functioning of the world body. Its re-entry into UNESCO should be read in this context.

Despite the absence of direct physical connectivity, the US is like a neighbor for countries like Nepal. This feeling perhaps arises due to America’s contribution to Nepal’s development in areas such as education, healthcare and infrastructure. The influence of several powerful nations remains limited to their respective regions. They have yet to extend their reach globally. 

Such is not the case with the United States. 

The 2024 US presidential election has also captured the attention, particularly of the democratic world. While American citizens will be electing their president, their mandate will impact the whole world and Nepal will not remain immune from this. As the United States advocates for the law, democracy and human rights, many nations take it as an exemplary nation.

It is for this very reason that the United States draws global attention. With the presidential election not that far away, global attention toward America has only increased.  

Eyeing the most powerful position in the world, the Republican Party is already in the fray. Around a dozen politicians from the party have launched their campaigns seeking nomination. Among the candidates is the former President Donald Trump, who has faced multiple sexual abuse, fraud, and defamation cases.

The Democratic Party is not lagging behind, either. Currently, it has three leading contenders for the presidential nomination, including the incumbent Joe Biden. Speculation has also arisen regarding Biden’s age, health, and his effectiveness as President.

For a large number of people around the world, especially those concerned about democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the US presidential election is a kind of festival. As a practicing lawyer and a student of human rights and democracy, I will be watching the election with immense interest.

A member of the Supreme Court Bar, the author has been practicing corporate law for three decades

Actor Saruk Tamrakar, who passed away on July 6, was a man with many feathers in his hat. Before he entered the world of Nepali cinema, he had already made his name as a model, photographer and filmmaker.   

Tamrakar was known for his charismatic personality that he exuded effortlessly both on and off screen. He made his acting debut in 2017 with ‘Raani’ before working on other projects such as ‘Meri Mamu’ and ‘Intu Mintu London Ma’. Tamrakar’s role as a military officer in ‘Intu Mintu London Ma’ was his breakthrough performance, which won him many accolades. He was working on the film ‘Hashtag Maya'’ at the time of his passing. 

Along with movies, Tamrakar was also featured in several music videos like ‘Timro Muskan Ley’, ‘Prasna’, ‘Namari Baachey’, and ‘Batash Jhai’. He also directed  and worked on a variety of short films like ‘Aasha’, ‘Trans15sion’, ‘The Rickshaw Carpool Ride’, ‘Hide’  and more.

Tamrakar’s main passion in his life was photography and filmmaking. Through photography and videography, he enthusiastically imparted his knowledge, experiences and skills to younger generations. In a 2019 interview with ApEx, he had said that he would have been a filmmaker had he not gotten into acting. 

In a short time, Tamrakar made an enduring impression in the entertainment world by appearing in a number of well-known movies, playing various roles that resonated with audiences. He was a true artist and an inspiration to many.  

Off the screen, Tamrakar was a cherished friend, a devoted family member, and a compassionate human being. He had always wanted to leave a legacy by making films that were meaningful and impacted the lives of people. 

After his demise, Miss Nepal Earth 2018 and his friend, Priya Sigdel posted her first interaction with Tamrakar in the Paradygm TV set on Instagram. “This was indeed the best time of my life because I have always admired him so much and I am glad I always shared this with him. Saruk is still with us in his spirits, his positivity, his smiles and his energy that made everyone feel so good,” wrote Sigdel about Tamrakar and his infectious charm. 

Malina Joshi, Tamrakar’s close friend and co-actor from the film ‘Raani’, also paid tribute to her dear friend on Instagram. “He chose a very difficult path towards Moksh. Let us all pray collectively for his departed soul to rest in peace in heaven,” she wrote.

Tamrakar was only 31 at the time of his passing and in his three decades on this earth, he loved—and was loved by—his family, friends, colleagues and admirers. 

Birth: 19 Sept 1992, Kathmandu

Death: 6 July 2023, Kathmandu 

Sending Nepali nurses to the United Kingdom will worsen Nepali medical sector, affecting the health services, health experts have warned.  

The shortages of nurses in the country will have an adverse effect in the health sector as patients will face delays in emergency departments and in other health services. 

 Critical care will be affected and there will be scarcity of nurses to take care of patients after surgery. Also it increases the workload of the nurses and makes them fatigued.  

Nepal and the United Kingdom though have signed a bilateral agreement on health partnership opening the door for Nepali nurses to work in the UK. 

There are already international concerns over the UK’s plan to take nurses from developing countries. The International Council of Nurses (ICN), said that such wealthy nations recruiting nursing staff from some of the world’s most fragile health systems was extremely hard to justify and perhaps should be stopped entirely. 

The ratio of nurses to the British population is around 80 to 10,000 while in Nepal it is nearer 20. The government run hospitals where there are a large number of the patients are facing an acute shortage of nurses. 

Consider this case. Recently 245 nurses have been appointed in Bir Hospital and 50 nurses have been appointed to work in federal governmental hospitals. These newly appointed numbers however are still insufficient to deliver quality health care to patients.  The ICN has said seven or eight wealthy countries—notably Britain, the United States, and Canada—were driving around 80 percent of international nurse migration, to try to address their domestic shortages.

Situation of nurses in the country 

The country is already facing an acute shortage of nurses. The shortage of nurses affects health care services, posing a threat to patient’s lives. It affects patient satisfaction rate, increases medication errors and makes them fatigued. 

One nurse should serve only six patients in a general ward, four in a pediatric unit, and one in an intensive care unit with a ventilator, according to the government. It is also ideal to have at least two nurses for a single operation table and during delivery.

Nepal produces around 5,000 nurses per year and this number is insufficient to the country. The number of nurses in the health centers in the rural areas are lesser than the urban areas.  According to Nepal Nursing Council there are 1,352 specialist nurses, 73,889 nurses, 51 midwives, 37,236 auxiliary nurse midwives and 848 foreign nurses registered with the council.

The World Health Organization estimates that at least 2.5 medical staff (physicians, nurses and midwives) per 1,000 people are needed to provide adequate coverage with primary care interventions as per its World Health Report 2006.

There is a need for 70,000 nurses in the country itself. 

The country however has not been able to meet the WHO estimates. Nepal is currently on the red list of countries according to the Code of Practice. The Code of Practice for the ethical international recruitment of health and social care personnel bans active recruitment from countries with the greatest workforce shortages unless there is a government-to-government agreement in place.

“When the government is not concerned about the shortage of nurses in the country and is sending the human resources to foreign countries it’s a shameful situation,” said Sarala KC, president of Nepal Nursing Council.

She said that this decision will be counterproductive as it affects the health care system. “Its effect will be seen in the citizens as they will not be able to get healthcare. When there is a shortage of the nurses the hospitals will be closed,” KC added. 

Who is eligible? 

Though the two governments are still working to prepare an implementation protocol Nepali citizen aged between 20 and 45 and who have completed either Staff Nurse, Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSc), or Bachelor of Nursing (BN), or Master’s Degree in Nursing, holds an active professional license from the Nepal Nursing Council plus at least two years of experience in a registered hospital in Nepal is eligible for the application. The applicants can fill up an online application on the Department of Foreign Employment’s website. 

Details on the recruitment process, the initiation date for the application process, as well as other related information will be posted on the Ministry’s website. The ICN has said that international recruitment focused largely on experienced, specialized nurses, rather than the “myth” that only newly-qualified nurses were being targeted.

“That creates a serious deficit in expertise in countries that cannot afford to lose their more experienced nurses. That has really been a serious concern,” ICN president Pamela Cipriano, had said during a press conference organized by the UN correspondents association in Geneva. 

British ambassador to Nepal Nicola Pollitt after signing the agreement on 22 Aug last year had then tweeted that the deal will benefit the health sectors of both countries.  Successful Nepali nurses will not need to pay anything for the recruitment and will enjoy the same benefits as British nurses, Pollitt, she had said.

The medical experts however are of the view that sending the Nepali nurses will worsen the condition of the already ill health sector. They say that the number of nurses is already decreasing in the country as the number of nursing colleges and the number of students joining nursing education is declining. “We must increase the number of nursing students if we are to run the medical sector,” said KC. 

Over 250,000 medical resource needed 

The Medical Education Commission (MEC), a national regulatory body for medical education in Nepal estimated that more than 250,000 human resources related to the medical sector will be necessary in the country till the fiscal year 2030/31. The projection has been made on the basis of a study based on fiscal year 2020/21. 

The commission has said that a total of 358,938 human resources including female health volunteers and office assistants in both the government and private health institutions would be needed across the country. It has also said that there is a demand of 257,091 doctors and health workers in the Nepali medical sector. 

“The number of human resources are projected on the basis of the retirement and migration of the health practitioners along with the construction of health institutions in the country,” said Dr Shree Krishna Giri, vice-chair of the commission.