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The Ministry of Health and Population has said that Nepal falls under the risk of infection of monkeypox (mpox).

According to Ministry Spokesperson Dr Prakash Budhathoki, the infection is spreading rapidly in neighboring India and in this context, Nepal too is vulnerable to it.

Last year, one 60-year-old foreigner (female) was diagnosed with the mpox virus in Nepal.

The Ministry has already consulted with the experts concerned regarding preparations required for its prevention.

Budhathoki said that health desks based along the air and border transits and the federal, provincial and local levels have been instructed to remain vigilant to the infection risk and take measures accordingly. 

The Ministry has designated hospitals and doctors in all seven provinces for the prevention and management of the infection.

Since the past few days, the African country Congo is battling with Clade 1b. This variant of mpox is considered to be deadly. Since January this year, it has killed 548 people.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a health emergency over the spread of the virus.

Mpox spreads through direct contact with the infected person or animal, skin-to-skin contact with mpox rash or scabs from an infected, contact with fluid and saliva from the body of an infected, clothing, towels, beddings or objects used by the infected.

Fever, skin rash and bumps in between one and three days of the infection which appears in the face, palm and feet as well, headache, muscle ache, bone ache, chills, and swollen lymph nodes are the symptoms of mpox. It may lead to the loss of eyesight, pneumonia, brain fever, miscarriage (among pregnant) and even death.

The Ministry has hoped for a high level of cooperation from the civic- level in terms of adopting health protocols to prevent the risk which is, as the Ministry said, possible, if the civic are ready for that. 

Three members of a family were killed in a landslide at Majhgaun in Nalgad Municipality-2 of Jajarkot on Monday.  

The deceased have been identified as Lal Bahadur Pariyar (42), Manisa Pariyar (34) and their two-year-old son Shivam Pariyar of Nalgad-2.

Nalgad Municipality Mayor Dambar Rawat said that they were staying in a temporary shelter constructed for the earthquake victims.

A police team led by Inspector Madhav Prasad Chaudhary of the Area Police Office Dalli has reached the incident site, said Mayor Rawat.

The Embassy of Nepal in Ottawa has advised Nepali students planning to study in Canada to exercise caution and thoroughly prepare before embarking on their educational journey. 

The embassy’s advisory comes at a time when international students in Canada are facing unprecedented hardships due to a lack of jobs and rising accommodation prices. The Nepali mission has advised students to carefully study the notice that the embassy published in the last week of April. “Prospective students are advised to conduct thorough research about their chosen college, field of study, associated costs, and the city where the institution is located. Don’t rely on unrealistic, insufficient, or exaggerated promotional materials, as this may lead to various problems upon arrival,” the advisory reads.

The embassy has advised students to gather information from relatives, friends, senior or former students, social media networks and Nepali diaspora organizations in the relevant cities before departing for Canada. This, according to the embassy, will help students better understand the local environment, education system, expenses, housing availability and employment prospects.

The Nepali mission has also advised parents to make adequate arrangements for their children’s tuition, accommodation and living expenses before sending them off to Canada. It added that the misconception that employment can be easily secured immediately upon arrival has landed many students in trouble.

Stating that there is increasing pressure on student housing and employment opportunities across Canada due to a growing number of international students, the embassy has advised students to secure accommodation before arrival and warned against making advance payments based solely on social media advertisements.

The embassy has advised students to be prepared for extreme cold during the winter months and gather information about the local climate beforehand. “Students also need to familiarize themselves with local customs and practices related to daily life in Canada to ease their transition,” it added.

Furthermore, the embassy has emphasized the importance of being well-informed about the quality and credibility of educational institutions before paying tuition fees. Students are also advised to verify landlord information before making any rental payments to avoid falling victim to scams, it added.

Canada has decided to reduce the intake of international students by 35 percent for two years starting September to address pressure on its housing and health sector. It is also discontinuing work permits for undergraduate students enrolled in private-public partnership colleges starting September.

“Students should be aware of their rights and seek legal recourse if they face labor exploitation, abuse, or fraud in the workplace,” it added.

Canada had 1.04m international students in 2023, according to the Canadian Bureau of International Education. Nepalis accounted for two percent of the community that year, according to the Bureau. The number of Nepali students grew by a whopping 166 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.

The Bharatpur-based BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital has started providing 'CT Scan Service' in extra time. With this, patients do not need to wait for the 'CT Scan' service at the hospital.

Before this, patients had to wait for a week to access this service from the hospital that has been daily undertaking 60 to 70 CT scans of patients.

Chief of the Hospital's Radiology Department Dr Nitu Sharma said compulsion to wait for the turn has been ended when two vacant positions of radiologist got filled and mobilized for providing service in extra time. She said, "After new management was in place, the two vacant posts were fulfilled. With this, 12 hours of service from 8 am to 8 pm has begun", the Department Chief informed.

The department has a total of seven radiologists. Earlier, there was an issue of service delivery when only five radiologists had to provide service during office hours.

Now, the patients have to wait for just two days to access MRI service, she said, adding earlier the patients had to wait for two weeks to get MRI service.

There is no need to wait for the video X-ray now. Earlier, only one radiologist used to provide the video X-ray service, but now there are two dedicated persons to deliver the service, Dr Sharma added.