Nepal overwhelmed by COVID-19, we need help: PM Oli
What's the story
Nepal is battling a new and brutal wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said as he appealed to the UK and other developed nations on Monday to urgently provide his country with essential medical items, life-saving drugs, and vaccines to combat the pandemic. Nepal on Monday reported 9,127 new cases, the highest single-day spike, in the last 24 hours.
COVID-19 surge
Surge poses serious challenge to the entire health system: Oli
The nationwide coronavirus infection tally now stands at 4,03,794. It also reported 139 fatalities. In an opinion piece published in The Guardian newspaper, Oli, who lost a confidence vote in Nepal's House of Representatives on Monday, said the rise in the number of infections posed a serious challenge to the country's citizens and the entire health service system.
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Facing difficulties in providing patients with sufficient hospital beds: Oli
"Nepal's history is one of hardship and struggle, yet this pandemic is pushing us to our limits. The number of infections is straining the healthcare system; it has become tough to provide patients with hospital beds that they need," he wrote in the British newspaper.
Cases
Around 8,000 cases being reported daily for past several days
There have been about 8,000 new cases every day for the past several days, which is quite high for a country of approximately 30 million people. "Even though our mortality rate is relatively low, every one of the 3,720 lives that, at the time of writing, we have lost to the pandemic is precious for us," Oli noted.
Appeal
I have appealed to international community to help us: Oli
Though the Nepal government was trying its best, due to constraints of resources and infrastructure, the pandemic is turning out to be an overwhelming burden. "I have, therefore, appealed to the international community to help us with vaccines, diagnostic tools, oxygen kits, critical care medicines, equipment, to support our efforts to save lives. Our urgent goal is to stop preventable deaths occurring," he wrote.
International support
We trust UK to mobilize vaccines to needy countries: Oli
"As the current chair of the G7, and a champion of human welfare, the UK is in a position to play an important role in generating international support," he noted. "Nepal has faith that Britain will use its influence to ensure that the G7 accelerates the deployment of vaccines around the world, especially to the countries that need them most urgently," Oli wrote.
Vaccines
'Pandemic has highlighted vast gulf between rich and poor worlds'
Noting that "we are living in an interconnected and interlinked world; this disease affects everyone. Nobody is safe until everyone is safe," he wrote. "The pandemic has highlighted once again the vast gulf between the rich and poor worlds. This gap should be minimized by making vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics more accessible to all," Oli further wrote.
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'Several people still don't know when vaccine will reach them'
"Billions of people in the global south still do not know when the COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to them. Solidarity with these nations is essential," the prime minister added.