Nepal Nursing Day/World Leprosy Day

Rejeena Khanal Dhakal, a nurse working at Koshi Zonal Hospital in Biratnagar, has not been able to stay with her parents even though she wanted to. She is staying away from her family to prevent the spread of the disease to the elderly parents.

Pooja Sapkota, another nurse working at Bir Hospital, has the same story as Rejeena. Pooja, who has not even met her 5-year-old daughter in order to prevent the transmission of the disease through her, stays away from family and goes to her duty. Nurses are doing their part in the COVID crisis, sacrificing many things, including the hugs of young children the touch of elderly parents, and the despair from their own loved ones.

Starting of nursing- worldwar anecdote
Outside, the fires of World War II were raging, people were being killed and injured every day, and Florence Nightingale, a small lamp, was always at the service of the wounded. Let's talk about nurses who have been highly respected by people all over the world in the last century.

Background of nursing in Nepal
The nurse reminds me of the hospital and the main thing is health care and loving care. Nurses' Day is celebrated in Nepal on the 15th of Magh every year. After the establishment of Bir Hospital in 1947, there were only a handful of compounders and a handful of people trained in India as health assistants.

The Nepali history of nursing seems to have started in 2013 BS when some Nepali students including housewives were formally trained as nurses during the Rana regime. This year is the 60th edition of Nursing Day in 2078 BS.

During the Rana period, four Nepali disciples, Bidhavati Kansakar, Radha Devi Malakar, Dharmadevi Kansakar, and Bishnu Devi Rai, have a history of training as health assistants from Allahabad, India. After that, the trend of Nepali women coming to India after 4 years and 9 months long nursing courses has increased.

What is surprising about nursing is that there are only a small number of men in this business. Some time ago, some nursing colleges also gave nursing training to men, and later men were not attracted to this profession.

In the beginning, nursing was not seen as a pleasant profession, it was a night duty, it was necessary to work with the sick and wounded. Now the whole dimension of nursing has transformed in Nepal, nurses are taken as a great profession and persona in Nepal. Issues over the minimum wage of nurses working day and night in private hospitals are yet to be settled. Meaningful wishes for this day.

World Leprosy Day 2023
It was misinterpreted as a delusion to say that leprosy and those who are afflicted with the disease are unforgivable sinners. As this delusion was cultivated based on some myths and memories written in the middle era, leprosy was considered a curse and a sin in Nepali society for centuries. Many patients were tied up in the corner of the backyard, and the horrific scenes and stories of those who died after leprosy melted parts of their bodies are still heard in society.

After decades of suffering from leprosy, Nepali society is now looking at leprosy in general. Or the older generation still sees leprosy as a curse, time will answer. Today, the 70th World Leprosy Day is being celebrated with various programs.

This international day is an opportunity to celebrate people who have experienced leprosy, raise awareness of the disease, and call for an end to leprosy-related stigma and discrimination. The theme of World Leprosy Day 2023 is “Act Now.

Rallies are being held with placards with slogans such as "Let's not discriminate against lepers, let's love lepers, let's end discrimination against lepers". Rallies and other programs are also being organized in the rural areas of the country to spread public awareness against leprosy. To raise awareness about leprosy sufferers, the worldwide anti-leprosy campaign was started on January 30, 1954.

The disease is caused by an infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. There may be no symptoms at the beginning of the infection. Some infected people do not see much effect for five to 20 years.

Types of leprosy
Leprosy is of two types. That is why some affected people are found to be in critical condition and even die when they neglect treatment due to a lack of awareness. The most common symptoms of leprosy are a tingling sensation in the body, a tingling sensation in the hands and feet, and a feeling of weakness in the body. To completely eradicate leprosy, the government has also provided allowances for the patients to have access to health treatment centers.

Medications are free in Nepali health centers.

Suyog Dhakal