I have just finished my Masters in Public Health (MPH). When I appeared in the final exam of MPH I have written many times that “Nepal is one of the countries to show highest progress in child mortality reduction, Nepal is likely to meet the MDG target of reduction of child mortality by 2015 and so on”. I have written these lines in good handwriting during the exams so that I may secure good marks. I have reiterated these lines many times in my class presentations and I even read these lines many times in many publications. And after few months when I go for job in any NGO/INGO/Government Organizations and when somebody asks me “What do you know about Child Health status of Nepal?” then again I have to repeat the same false lines that “Nepal is one of the country to show highest progress in Child mortality reduction, Nepal is likely to meet MDG goal of Child mortality reduction……blaw blaw blaw….”. I bet if you randomly draw five books from my cupboard at least in three of them you can read somewhere that Nepal has made huge progress in child mortality reduction.
Oh no………..I’m tired of it. The reality is, Nepal is a country where 150 children die of Diarrhea just in one month. When I share this story to my friend abroad he doesn’t believe it and says “Children dying of diarrhea in this 21st century……..Common guys where are you?” He doesn’t believe me and I have to send him links of news in the web.
I’m Public health personnel in a country where 150 children die in one month just because of diarrhea. And I become very happy on passing MPH in first division…………….shame on myself. If the hundreds of children die of diarrhea does it matter whether I pass or fail MPH, does it matter how much I earn by working in a NGO/INGO, does it matter how much marks I secure in exams. No I haven’t passed. I have failed. All public health graduates in this country have failed. All medical personnel of this country have failed and all paramedics have failed. All NGOs and INGOs have failed, the health system of this country has failed and all UN agencies in Nepal have failed.
Few days ago there was a kidney day and it was celebrated in my college by organizing a programme. There is no any doubt, it is good to raise awareness on people about their kidney, but what is the need of this country? Do we need a Kidney Day or Anti Diarrheal day?
Recently the Prime Minister (PM) himself visited the diarrhea affected areas and promised to give Rs 10,000 for every family who has lost a child due to diarrheas. What a stupid idea again…….? Instead of this if the PM had spent just 10,000 per VDC on raising awareness on diarrhea and provision of clean and safe drinking water just before the beginning of rainy season then all those children would have been saved. But…..who cares……………..this is Nepal and one gets attention here only after one dies and the PM also needs some good stuffs to gain popularity.
But again………………what am I doing to prevent the diarrhea……. Just writing this article and putting blame on others doesn’t solve the problem of diarrhea in Rukum and Jajarkot……….….I need to do something, otherwise even though my academic degree show I passed my exams I will be a failure in real life exams.
