According to doctors, there has been little change in the working style of agencies responsible for the rescue and management of the injured after disasters and accidents in Nepal.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
On 24 Magh 2081, a gas cylinder exploded at the Shandar Momo shop in Kamalpokhari. Eleven workers were injured in the incident. The injured from this event, which occurred in the heart of the capital, were taken to the hospital not by ambulance, but by a meat delivery truck. Dr. Kiran Nakarmi, Director of Kirtipur Burn Hospital, recalls, “People around the scene had mobile phones in their hands or pockets, but no one called 102 for ambulance service. Instead, the injured were brought to the hospital in a meat delivery truck.”
A similar disaster rescue incident was seen on Thursday in front of the Department of Passports in Tripureshwar. Over a wheel lock issue, Ganesh Nepali, a 25-year-old from Mugu Soru Rural Municipality–1, attempted self-immolation by pouring petrol on himself. After the fire was extinguished, video footage shows security personnel holding Ganesh by the hand and walking him a few meters along the road before placing him in a vehicle, as he writhed in pain in the middle of the street with severe burns on much of his body.
According to doctors, there has been little change in the way agencies in Nepal rescue and manage the injured after disasters and accidents.
Ganesh, the ride-sharing driver who attempted self-immolation on Thursday, died during treatment on Friday. The doctors involved in his care at Bir Hospital officially declared his death at 11:19 am. “The wounds were very deep and more than 55 percent of his body was burned, so we could not save the patient,” said Dr. Piyush Dahal, head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit at Bir Hospital.
The patient's condition was critical from the beginning. As his health became more complicated, doctors placed Ganesh on ventilator support. The critical care team performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the patient early Friday morning.
The reason for Ganesh’s self-immolation, according to Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police, was the wheel lock placed on his motorcycle. Video footage shows a dispute with city police over parking his motorcycle in a prohibited area. In the video, a city police officer is heard scolding Nepali, accusing him of trying to flee the scene with the wheel-locked motorcycle.
There have been demands from parliament to the streets for an investigation into Ganesh’s death, punishment for those responsible, and appropriate compensation. Following widespread pressure, the government has already formed a committee under the leadership of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Govinda Thapaliya. The Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari, has formed a five-member investigation committee led by DIG Thapaliya, including officials from the District Police Range, Kathmandu, and the Valley Crime Investigation Office. The committee has been instructed to study the events leading up to Nepali’s death and submit a report as soon as possible.
As of Friday evening, his family members had refused to accept the body. They blamed the state apparatus for forcing their relative to take such a drastic step.
