Submit your Article

Chairman and Managing Director of Bhatbhateni Supermarket Min Bahadur Gurung has been arrested on Tuesday. A team of Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) nabbed Gurung from Kathmandu this morning. Nepal Police spokesperson Kuber Kathayat said that he was detained in connection with the Lalita Niwas land grab case. The Special Court on February 3, 2021 had issued an order saying that Gurung be released on a bail of Rs 20 million. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority on February 5, 2020, had filed corruption cases against 175 individuals at the Special Court in connection with Lalita Niwas land scam.      

On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox (mpox) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. It’s a virus that belongs to the same family as smallpox and chickenpox. The outbreak was seen in 112 countries, with a total of 87,972 laboratory-confirmed cases and 1,097 probable cases, including 147 deaths, as of 19 June 2023. And the first case in Nepal was seen recently, on June 16. This has raised several concerns among the public about the possible outbreak of mpox in Nepal. “While mpox isn’t as contagious as Covid-19 since the virus isn’t airborne, there’s still a chance that this one case might lead to an outbreak if we aren’t careful,” says Dr Prajwal Pudasaini, a dermatologist at the Civil Service Hospital, Minbhawan, Kathmandu. According to a WHO report, an infected person can transmit the virus one to four days before showing any symptoms, and until the symptoms/rashes heal. The incubation period (the number of days between the start of infection and showing of symptoms) for the mpox is around three to 17 days. The common symptoms might last two-four weeks, which include high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes. It transmits sexually, through skin-to-skin contact, saliva, mucus, and pus from rashes and droplets. The symptom starts with fever and rashes appear two-three days post-fever. “It can easily be confused with common viral fever, during which people might not maintain the needed distance,” says Dr Pudasaini. Also, since many people aren’t aware of mpox, they might not opt for medical tests. He adds that some might also confuse mpox with chickenpox, not knowing the difference between the rashes. “In the case of mpox, rashes first appear on palms, feet, and genitalia, whereas chickenpox appears all over the body,” he says. The rashes in mpox are filled with mucus/pus, unlike in chickenpox. “Also, people might not stay in isolation thinking they are already immune to chickenpox,” he adds. Despite that, the possibility of an outbreak is quite minimal, especially in Nepal because virus transmission is not possible without close physical contact, says Dr Janak Koirala, professor of infection disease/internal medicine at Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS). “Since the first case was quickly identified, it might not have spread in a group,” he says, “But it’s necessary to follow the infected’s travel history, as well as trace and monitor her contacts.” Dr Rudra Marasini, director, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), says that the 60-year-old infected individual’s contacts have been traced and they are under close observation. “She had a travel history, and we have managed to contact everyone who came into contact with her within the 21 days prior to when her symptoms appeared,” he says. So far, only one of the contacts has shown signs of mpox, but the test result came out negative. Dr Hemanta Chandra Ojha, section chief, Zoonotic and Other Communicable Disease Control Section, EDCD, says other contacts haven’t shown any symptoms of mpox thus far. They will be under observation until the incubation period is over. “Since the illness didn’t originate in Nepal, it’s highly unlikely that this will turn into an outbreak,” he says. But to remain prepared, Dr Marasini mentions that medical professionals in Nepal have received training on dealing with cases of mpox. “We have 14 sites all over Nepal where professionals trained in handling mpox have been stationed,” he says. Dr Dharmendra Karn, a dermatologist, says most healthcare professionals began keeping themselves updated with the mpox virus after an outbreak in 2022. “We didn’t know when it would enter Nepal, so we have always stayed prepared,” he says. Also, for most individuals, the symptoms are only limited to fever and skin rashes, unless they are immuno-compromised. “It might prove to be fatal for infants, elderly and pregnant individuals, as well as people with chronic illnesses like diabetes, existing heart and liver issues, and HIV/AIDS,” says Dr Karn. In these cases, mpox might lead to other complications like meningitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, and organ failure. However, the mortality rate, so far, is less than one percent globally. “Much depends on the type of mpox variant,” says Dr Pudasaini. There are two variants of mpox prevalent globally—Central African (Clade I) and West African (Clade II). Among them, Clade II doesn’t cause much severity, whereas, according to Pudasaini, Clade I is thrice as lethal as the omicron virus. “Not knowing what variant we are dealing with, we can’t be sure on what the outcome might be,” he says. Nevertheless, the 2022 outbreak was caused by the subtype of Clade II called Clade IIb, which isn’t as severe as Clade I. Unfortunately, Nepal doesn’t have the mechanism to identify mpox variants. The best thing to do at the moment, Dr Karn believes, is to go back to the preventive measures everyone took during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We need to start maintaining distance, wearing masks, and using sanitizers,” he says. He adds that it’s necessary to inform people on the possible symptoms of mpox and precautions to take when one shows signs of infection. “Many people don’t even know what mpox is,” he says. Dr Koirala says it’s important to prevent the virus from reaching places like hostels, schools, and workplaces, where there is close contact. “It’s also transmissible from towels, clothes, utensils, and items used by the infected,” he says. If found in places where people remain together in a cluster for long hours, an outbreak cannot be prevented. But if there is an outbreak, doctors and medical professionals ApEx spoke to believe that Nepal’s healthcare system is well-equipped to handle it. “Many hospitals now have good isolation wards, ICUs, and have a good knowledge on dealing with medical crises,” says Dr Santa Kumar Das, deputy director, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital at Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. But there are a few improvements needed, like increasing the number of labs that conduct Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests for mpox. Currently, the test is only available at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) in Teku. To prevent the virus from making inroads into the country, a proper screening system must be put in place to know whether a person is suffering from mpox, experts say. “The best way is to prepare a screening questionnaire, and send individuals showing symptoms for a PCR test,” says Dr Koirala. For now, the MoHP has stationed trained individuals at airports to perform proper screening. “We are doing everything we can to prevent the virus from entering the country,” says Dr Marasini. Data: Countries with maximum mpox cases since the 2022 outbreak, as of 6 June 2023

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Symptoms Fever Rashes first appear on the palm, feet and genitalia two-three days post fever. Pus/mucus filled rashes appear all over the body Swollen lymph nodes Control measures Maintain physical distance Wear mask Use sanitizer Raise public awareness on the disease

Looking for a place for some good Indian Cuisine? Check out Be Perky Garden Boutique Restaurant in Sanepa, Lalitpur. The restaurant serves some delicious dishes that you’ll find in the streets of cities in India. From kabab to biryani, there is almost everything. The restaurant is cozy and most of the seating area is outdoors, with a bar at a corner. It’s a perfect place for large groups and families. We recommend you try their Veg and Non-veg Platter. It’s a perfect dish for a group of more than five, especially if there are vegetarians in the group. The Veg platter includes Dilruba Kebab, Tandoori Gobi, Paneer Tikka and Tandoori Mushroom, and the Non-veg Platter includes Chicken Tandoori, Chicken Tikka, Hariyali Chicken Tikka and Seekh Kebab. The DilKhush Kebab was amazing. It’s sauteed chicken stuffed with cheese. It tastes delicious with the chutney they serve on the side. It’s best to have it while it’s still hot to get the authentic taste. If you are looking forward to a big meal, you can’t go wrong with naan with your choice of curry. We loved the Punjabi Chicken Curry and Mutton Korma. The other alternative is Biryani. You’ll not be disappointed. Also, don’t miss out on the drinks. Their mocktails are quite good and refreshing. The ones we tried were Tangerine Mojito and Apple Smoke Mojito. It’s fruity, refreshing, and will leave you wanting for more. Their Specials: 

• DilKhush Kebab

• Platter

• Biryani 

I’m a 24-year-old woman and my relationships don’t last, be it with friends or a romantic partner. Everyone wants to maintain distance with me. I think part of the problem is me, but I don’t know what to do. A lot of them have told me I victimize myself a lot and don’t like to take accountability for my mistakes. I know that’s true. But I can’t bring myself to admit it or work on myself. What should I do?—A troubled woman Answered by Dristy Moktan, psychosocial counselor, Happy Minds Accepting one’s own shortcomings isn’t easy. It takes a lot of courage to come to a conclusion that you might have to work on yourself in order to mend your relationships with others. But the good thing is you’re trying to improve, not everyone is willing to do so. You need to dig deeper into why the problems exist in the first place. Analyze your reactions to certain situations. Try figuring out why you act the way you do. Maybe that will give you an idea on where you can start working on yourself. Sometimes, what you do might be your way of defending yourself from getting hurt. Or there might be some underlying issues, for instance childhood traumas. So figuring out the core problem will help you find better solutions. Maintaining relationships should go both ways. So you also need to communicate with other people. Talk to them and share what you feel. This can make the relationship even better. Communicating and understanding each other’s feelings can lead to a fulfilling relationship. Also, try keeping realistic goals when it comes to maintaining relationships. For instance, you can’t expect someone to be there for you all the time. So, set a goal that’s achievable for the both of you. Focus on the things that are under your control. Having said that, before trying to fix relationships with others, it’s always important to have a good relationship with oneself. Be aware of what you need to work on. Spend quality time with yourself. Good relationship with oneself will always help you to better understand your relationship with others.