The dramatic circumstances, the helplessness of the government and of the people
in Nepal with regard to COVID-19 were brought very close to us by the serious
illness of Ram and his mother. A few days before Ram’s illness, he told us
on the phone that things were getting out of hand in Kathmandu and in
Kathmandu Valley:
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The lockdown has been lifted. Many people are now traveling to their families
in the mountains. A three-week festival is increasing travel and so, of course,
the risk of COVID-19 infections is increasing in the mountains as well. There
is even less help there than in the city.
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Illnesses and deaths in Kathmandu and in the Kathmandu Valley are on the rise.
The number of unreported cases is certainly very high, because people usually
do not get tested because of the associated cost.
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In addition, Kathmandu is overrun by refugees from the south and from the
border region to India. The situation in India is more threatening than in
Nepal.
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Instead of providing more aid, the government is reducing the necessary
aid. The tests, which were previously free of charge, must now be paid for,
even by the poor population; the cost is about 40€ per test. This is a monthly
income for day labourers.
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Hospitalization was free in the past in the state hospitals for destitute
people. It must now be paid for and costs about 70€ just for a day’s stay
without medical treatment, and 180€ in a private clinic.
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In principle, sick people are supposed to stay at home. They are not admitted to hospital, even if they could finance it, because there are de facto no more free beds.
The sick are only admitted to hospitals when they can no longer breathe, as
in the case with Ram and his mother.
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Care by a family doctor can only be obtained with connections. Many doctors
refuse to see COVID-19 patients, as it happened in Ram’s case.
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Intensive care equipment is mostly unavailable.
One could continue the list of difficult circumstances for a long time and
bury one’s head in the sand complaining. This does not help!
Through your donations we have the opportunity,
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to finance COVID-19 tests for our project children and their families,
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to financially support hospitalization in acute cases,
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to provide basic food on request, as long as our families cannot pursue
their work without restrictions.
The schools have been completely closed since March. All project children have
the opportunity to take advantage of the minimal provision of homework by the schools via
smartphone.
A highly developed country like Germany has many good and helpful possibilities
to control a pandemic. A country like Nepal once again has no room for maneuver.
This is the reason for us to continue to support people in Nepal structurally and
individually with your help.
We wish you a healthy and good time in spite of all the restrictions and
limitations that we experience here as well.
Your Board of Gecotec e.V.
