After the measles outbreak that has been spreading for three weeks has subsided, classes have started in schools in Bobang village of Dhorpatan Municipality after adopting awareness. More than a dozen schools in three wards of Dhorpatan were closed for two weeks.

After closing schools for a week before and a week after the election and treating measles patients, schools were allowed to resume teaching from Monday after adopting awareness, said Bhumishwar Sharma, head of the municipal health department.

More than 120 children from Dhorpatan Municipality-7, 8 and 9 had fallen seriously ill. Many of them have returned home after treatment. However, some are still hospitalized. Twelve people are being treated at Burtiwang Hospital, six at Bobang Health Post, four in Pokhara and one at Dhaulagiri Hospital.

This problem was not only affecting children but also their parents. Especially, children were suffering from high fever and body aches, but even parents were suffering from colds and fever. 

Through the Provincial Public Health Office, a team from the Provincial and Federal Health Ministries, as well as the World Health Organization, reached the village and supported the treatment of the children. 

According to Raju Khatri, Vaccination Supervisor of the Provincial Public Health Office, Baglung, so far 5,656 children in Dhorpatan Municipality have been vaccinated against measles.  The World Health Organization team is staying in the village and searching for children who missed vaccination in the community.  Pregnant women and newborns are among the sick.  Khatri informed that they have also been vaccinated. 

Although the measles outbreak has been in Dhorpatan, health workers said that patients with similar symptoms have been seen sporadically in other places in the district.  ‘My grandson and granddaughter also had fever and chills, I got them treated at Dhaulagiri Hospital,’ said Khimananda Poudel of Kathekhola Rural Municipality-2, ‘This problem should be investigated throughout the district and brought under the scope of treatment.’ Health workers have adopted provisions such as taking appropriate precautions while bringing infected people for treatment and keeping suspicious patients in isolation. Patients who are suspected without being tested are not under those provisions. Therefore, there is a concern that the infection may increase further.

On Monday, under the coordination of the Chief District Officer, the people's representatives of all municipalities in Baglung decided to take necessary initiatives for disaster management and bring them under the scope of treatment if suspicious patients are found. "Since it is an infectious disease, let's make everyone aware and bring them under the scope of treatment in time," said Pradya Krishna Prasad Acharya, "It is not possible to vaccinate everyone, but if you are sick or suspicious, you should not miss out on getting vaccinated." He said that since more than 7,000 vaccines have been received in the district and nearly 1,000 more vaccines are left, initiatives will be taken to vaccinate the parents of infected people and suspicious people.