They doing it again, instead of providing cheap, effective and side effects free treatment with ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines.
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/04/04/top-story/elephantiasis--deaths-carelessness-not-drugs-killed-patients-says-govt-report/220205.html
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population is all set to launch Mass Drug Administration (MDA) against lymphatic filariasis, known as elephantiasis, from January 6, two months earlier than last year.
The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division under the ministry has preponed the drive after five deaths were recorded last year during the campaign.
The deaths were caused due, mainly, to wrong medication administered by untrained volunteers. Last year, the drive began from March 26 in 36 districts, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.
Dr Saroj Prasad Rajendra, deputy director general at the Department of Health Service, said the government has completed training programmes and orientations to health personnel.
“The government is going to start the campaign two months earlier because of the bitter experience we faced last year,” said Rajendra, adding that the government has scheduled the drive for winter on the basis of recommendation prepared by a probe committee. The first phase of the campaign will be implemented in 32 district and will continue for a week. Meanwhile, the ministry is also conducting the campaign from February 4 in 10 other districts, namely Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa, Ilam, Dhankuta, Terhathum, Panchthar, Bardiya, Surkhet and Jajarkot this year, in its second phase.
Rajendra informed that health workers are visiting households to administer the drug to people aged above two and below 60 years, excluding pregnant women and people with chronic diseases or any other forms of severe illness.
The targeted population for this year is 10.9 million for which the ministry is mobilising around 90,000 health volunteers with 11,912 health personnel. The ministry has completed five round of MDA in Rupendehi, Nawalparasi, Chitwan, Makwanpur and Parsa districts.
The government has been distributing Diethylcarbamazine and Albendazole under the MDA programme since 2003 with recommendation from the World Health Organisation.
According to the ministry, about 26.1 million people in 60 districts, including the Kathmandu Valley, are at high risk.
Elephantiasis is the second major disease to cause long-term disability after leprosy in the country. The government has a target to eliminate the disease by 2020. According to WHO, the disease has affected 40 million people in 83 countries, with one-third of them in Africa and India.
