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President Bidya Devi Bhandari has been admitted to the Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) on Saturday. She was admitted to the hospital at 11 am today after showing symptoms of dengue. Ram Bikram Adhikari, Information Officer at the TUTH, said that President Bhandari has been admitted to bed 601 of Annex 2. Dr Niraj Bam involved in her treatment said that President Bhandari had symptoms of dengue. “She was admitted to the hospital following symptoms of headache, fever and vomiting for the past three to four days,” Dr Bam said.    

Two personnel of the Armed Police Force (APF) died in a motorcycle accident in Deukhuri of Dang. They were of Jwalamai Gana No. 29 of the Bhaluwang-based camp.  Lahanu Chaudhary of Lamhi Municipality-1 and Sulesh Chaudhary of Rapti Rural Municipality-6 are among those who died. Superintendent of Armed Police Vinod KC informed that Lahanu died at the scene of the accident and while Sulesh was being taken to Kohalpur for treatment. He informed that both the deceased were engaged in rescue work at different places in Deukhuri due to continuous rain and met with an accident while returning to their camp after completing their duty. It is said that further investigation is being conducted on the incident.

During the Dashain period, 28 people including 4 children lost their lives in various road accidents in Madhes Province. Superintendent of Police Suman Kumar Timsina informed that 313 people were injured in 162 vehicle accidents between October 1 to 6. 15 men, 9 women and 4 children died in the bus accident that took place from Saturday to Thursday. Among the injured are 280 men, 53 women and 52 children.

Indian authorities have launched an investigation into four Indian-made cough syrups that the World Health Organization (WHO) said were linked to the death of 66 children in The Gambia. Samples of all the drugs in question have been taken and sent for testing to the Regional Drugs Testing Lab in Chandigarh by India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), and the results are expected to guide the further course of action. "As per the tentative results received by WHO, out of the 23 samples of the products under reference which were tested, 4 samples have been found to contain Diethylene Glycol/Ethylene Glycol," said a statement issued by the Indian Health Ministry on Thursday. It has also been informed by WHO that the certificate of analysis will be made available to WHO in the near future, and WHO will share with the Indian regulator which is yet to be done. "The exact one to one causal relation of death has not yet been provided by WHO to CDSCO," the statement added. Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal. Its effects include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death. The Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited had manufactured and exported the four syrups, namely Promethazine Oral Solution BP, Kofexnalin Baby Cough Syrup, MaKoff Baby Cough Syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup, to The Gambia. The Times of India quoted a senior official of Maiden Pharmaceuticals as saying on Friday that the company did not know how it all happened. "We are still getting the information," the official said. None of these four drugs of Maiden Pharmaceuticals is sold domestically in India. Meanwhile, leading pediatricians in India are quite critical of the incident. A leading pediatrician at the government-run Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi said that the syrups are not actually required in treatment for children up to three years. "As per the set standards, these particular four syrups which were exported from India to Gambia are actually not required for treatment of respiratory related ailments among infants up to three years. They were perhaps administered to the kids in a fit of medical activism," said the pediatrician. Ritabrata Kundu, a child health specialist at Kolkata-based Institute of Child Health, said the involved syrups contained contaminated substances, adding, "The act on the part of the pharma company is highly condemnable. It is wrong usage of drugs, which are not used in syrups sold in India." Neelam Mohan, a leading pediatrician based in Gurugram, a city adjacent to New Delhi, is of the view that syrups meant for children must be used very cautiously. "I can't really comment on why these deaths have occurred till the investigations get completed. But there is definitely a concern on usage of substances like Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol in making those cough syrups, as mentioned by WHO," Mohan said. Mohan added that it was high time the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) created guidelines for public use of such products meant for children. (Xinhua)