<figure><img width="2002" height="1452" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205409c7e80680e0b28a7jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: UNICEF NEPAL</figcaption></figure>While ‘long-Covid’ has come to mean lingering symptoms among survivors of Covid-19 infections, in Nepal it connotes the long-term socio-economic impact of the pandemic on children.Even as the Omicron third wave spreads across Nepal, the government is struggling to vaccinate children down to age 12 and protect this vulnerable and unvaccinated age group from the virus. No vaccination has been announced yet for those below 12.Side by side with that threat, more than one in five Nepali households continue to struggle for food due to lack of money and disruptions in supply caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest findings of a nationwide survey.The survey showed that in November, 21% of households struggled to obtain enough food, and nearly 10% of them had to reduce the dietary intake of children. However, while 60% of households surveyed in July 2020 said <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/half-of-nepalis-lost-jobs-in-past-month/">they had lost jobs</a>, this number had declined substantially to 33% by November last year. Still, this means one-third of Nepali families are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/pandemic-of-poverty/">at risk of poverty</a>, and this undermines Nepal’s steady success in reducing the rate of absolute poverty over the past two decades.The tracking survey has been conducted periodically by <a href="https://www.sharecast.org.np/">Sharecast Initiative Nepal</a> with support from <a href="https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/15281/file/Assessing_Secondary_Effects_of_COVID_on_Families_and_Children_In_Nepal_-_CFT_Endline_Report.pdf">UNICEF Nepal</a> since May 2020 to monitor household income, health and education during the pandemic. The <a href="https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/15281/file/Assessing_Secondary_Effects_of_COVID_on_Families_and_Children_In_Nepal_-_CFT_Endline_Report.pdf">Child and Family Tracker</a> has so far conducted 8 nationwide surveys to monitor and gauge changes in the livelihoods of more than 7,000 households. It tracks their access to jobs, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and children’s access to education, including food intake and health, breastfeeding and pregnant mothers. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/new-nepal-lockdown-may-cancel-gains/">Nepali Times</a> has partnered with Sharecast Initiative in analysing some of this data over the past two years. The latest survey shows that nearly one in three families are in need of financial assistance, and many families continue to be indebted. Disaggregated data shows that Dalit families are still more likely to incur debt, require food and financial support as an immediate need.The number of families reporting loss of jobs worsened in surveys conducted between <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-impact-on-food-and-school-in-nepali-children/">May and July 2020</a> (climbing to as much as 60%) but has now come down to 19% in the latest survey conducted in November last year.A similar situation is seen for other parameters like <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-impact-on-food-and-school-in-nepali-children/">food shortage</a> and children out of school, with the impact of the lockdowns extending till late 2020, before improving in the past year. The most dramatic impact is seen in the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/learning-during-the-pandemic-in-nepal/">proportion of children who were not studying at all</a>, which came down from a high of 41% in May 2020 to only 3% in November 2021. (See graph below). <figure><img width="2318" height="618" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205449c7e80680e0b28a8jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Overview of Child Tracker Survey data for various parameters between May 2020 - November 2021.</figcaption></figure>Similarly, families which have members with disabilities, as well as female-headed households have said they have been reaching out for financial support, food, and money. Children of such families predominate in most deprivation indicators. The results in education are a bit more uneven. While 60% of parents polled were confident about sending their children back to school, 80% felt that their children are falling behind in their studies. Only six in every ten households said their schools had handwashing facilities, and only a quarter confirmed their children's classrooms practiced physical distancing.  As expected, the survey showed that children with disabilities were far more likely to face challenges with virtual learning, which has again returned to being the norm as schools stay closed after winter vacations due to the ongoing Omicron surge. Reports of domestic violence have gone up with 15% of households interviewed witnessing violence against women and children, including intimations, threats, insults and yelling. Girls are facing increasing pressure to marry early, and face discrimination in school enrolment.  One positive trend seems to be in the number of households that said they witnessed children working. Before the pandemic, a full 30% of families said child labour was present, this had gone down to 8% during the first lockdown in April 2020 and decreased further to 2% in the latest survey conducted in November 2021. Another positive trend was a higher level of awareness about Covid-19 transmission and precautions. Most families appeared to be taking the necessary precautions with 84% reporting that they wore masks during the holiday season, and 71% of those surveyed had already been vaccinated as of November 2021.  The rate of hand-washing and use of sanitisers also remain high. Together masking, distancing and hygiene could also have an impact on reducing other common water- and air-borne infectious diseases in Nepal like diarrhoea, typhoid, tuberculosis, measles, etc. <figure><img width="1190" height="1200" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205479c7e80680e0b28a9jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Awareness about Covid precautions May 2020 and November 2021.</figcaption></figure>Unrelated to Covid, the survey also showed that among more than 7,000 households approached there appeared to be a high percentage of them with disabled members, with the highest proportion (21%) being in Karnali Province with Madhes Province and Bagmati at 16% each. (See graph below). <figure><img width="1604" height="1242" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372054a9c7e80680e0b28aajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Households with disabilities. </figcaption></figure>Similarly, the survey also gives a glimpse of male out-migration with data showing one third of households in Gandaki Province being female-headed families. Madhes Province had the lowest proportion of women-led households (12%), with all other provinces showing about a quarter of families being female-headed. (See graph below) <figure><img width="1810" height="1092" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372054d9c7e80680e0b28abjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Female headed households by Province.</figcaption></figure>Interestingly, the survey also showed that female-headed households had a disproportionately higher number of children living with them. Children made up 38% of the total members in households led by males, while in female-headed households children made up 43% of the members.  <img width="936" height="1324" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205509c7e80680e0b28acjpeg.jpg" alt="">Full report: <a href="https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/15281/file/Assessing_Secondary_Effects_of_COVID_on_Families_and_Children_In_Nepal_-_CFT_Endline_Report.pdf">‘Equity Focused Assessment of Secondary Effects of COVID-19 on Families and Children in Nepal’ by Unicef and Sharecast Initiative’.</a>

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Nepal’s ‘long-Covid’ impact on children

<img width="1500" height="825" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b939e9c7e80680e06f1b4jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Last year was too unpleasant to remember, yet too hard to forget. I was expecting something totally normal. Nothing dangerous, nothing out of the blue. Just another ordinary year. However, 2020 turned out to be anything but ordinary.In December of 2019, as Covid-19 first appeared, starting to infect people in China, I was already disheartened. I had a premonition that things would not be the same for a very long time. By March, everything was locked down in Kathmandu, but I did believe that there was light at the end of the tunnel. This was just another pandemic. We have seen worse in Nepal, or so I thought. The lockdown was quite normal for me and life moved on as it did before. School was just different, and continued remotely since there was not much else anyone could do. Learning to play the piano months before the lockdown helped me pass the time. I spent my time writing some articles for The STEM Club at our school, and occasionally for my own blog. I was becoming quite accustomed to the fact that I was using my devices for a considerable amount of time, mainly for schoolwork. Otherwise, it was off-limits in our house prior to the lockdown.In December 2020, just when there was a glimmer of hope in Kathmandu that everything would be fine, I fell terribly sick. There was very little cough, I was breathing quite fine, but my temperature soared. This was not normal. We did multiple PCR tests, and all of them came back negative. I did not have Covid-19 after all. There was already this conviction in the general public that Covid-19 was a disease that afflicted the elderly, and the feeble. Those with pre-existing health conditions were supposed to be at higher risk, but young, healthier individuals usually fought back the virus. Nothing could go wrong, I assumed. I was dead wrong.Things did get worse. Over a few nights, my symptoms amplified. I was covered in rashes and a persistent abdominal pain. I was grey with fatigue on the day I reached hospital, but worse was yet to come. I stayed for a few check-ups which concluded that there was nothing life-threatening.However, in a matter of a few hours, my liver, heart and lungs were struggling to keep functioning. I had to be shifted to intensive care.In the next few days, I was spewing blood and gradually becoming weaker. It was not long until I was diagnosed with respiratory failure and myocarditis, a swelling of the heart muscle. Before I was put into the ventilator, I told my parents that I would be back soon, uncertain if I would ever see them again. Over the next few days, there was little hope of my survival. But at the nick of time, with the right treatment, I made it back to life after what seemed like eternity.I woke up after being asleep for four days, and was confused and baffled. I was bewildered when I found out that I had been lying there for days in a row with a pipe shoved down my throat and another, advanced to my heart. For the next few days, expressing myself became difficult, and when I tried to speak my voice oddly resembled that of Batman. I also had to learn to walk again, and I suddenly became detached and unhooked from reality. I still didn’t know what had happened to me. What was this odd disease?Later on, I found out that I had been diagnosed with Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS), an extremely rare and dangerous disease discovered only in April 2020. However, my diagnosis came full circle, back to Covid-19, and my affliction was associated with the coronavirus. I seem to have been infected by the virus without any discernible symptoms at all, but it was my body’s response to Covid-19 that was more life-threatening than the virus itself. My immune response was the damaging factor, and once the doctors reversed this through other drugs, my condition finally improved. The odds of me getting this disease was highly unlikely, but apparently it can happen to anyone. The ordeal increased my respect and gratitude towards doctors, nurses and all other individuals working at the frontlines during the pandemic. It is indeed a daunting task to be a part of the fight against the global pandemic, and the work done by frontline workers and doctors are absolutely heroic. I am all right now, as I can walk and talk like before. But this experience also taught me about how uncertain things can be in life. Covid-19 has reminded me and many others how to cope with misfortune with courage, fortitude and perseverance. We always need to be grateful for what we have and make the best out of each memory. It has also taught me and many others about how the most unpredictable things can happen at any point in time. With this struggle, I have come to realise how precious life is, and the hurdles we need to overcome at its every step -- like water, dancing in the eddies and trickling down a stream no matter what comes in its way.Nirav Pandey is a 15-year-old student at Rato Bangala School in Kathmandu. A version of this essay was published in Time Magazine under the title <a href="https://time.com/6071300/kids-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘A Year Full of Emotions.' What Kids Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic</a> <img width="90" height="109" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121148/636b93a19c7e80680e06f1b5jpeg.jpg" alt="">Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/had-covid-beware-of-long-covid/">Had Covid? Beware of Long Covid.</a>, Sajana Baral

Life lesson from the pandemic

<img width="640" height="438" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131140/636cf1eb9c7e80680e09d8d5jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Many public health specialists in Nepal have been heaving a sigh of relief that the infection graph for the second wave is <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-numbers-slightly-down-in-nepal/">starting to flatten</a>, but with reports of black fungus, third wave and new variants there is no respite.Everything that India has suffered since March has repeated itself in Nepal on a smaller scale. The  black fungus outbreak could be a microcosm of the post-second wave world, of  ‘epidemics within a pandemic’ as opportunistic infections and new Covid-19 waves prey on collapsed health systems.    In theory, Nepal should not have a strong flare-up like India because we have fewer risk characteristics, says epidemiologist Lhamo Yangchen Sherpa. “Covid is communicable so it spreads regardless of demographic factors, but black fungus is rarely contagious and selective.” she says. “India’s population has a higher proportion of elderly, diabetics and immunocompromised people than us, and these are the groups most vulnerable to black fungus,” she says.Indeed, there were reports in India of black fungus even pre-Covid, with 140 cases per million, which was the highest in the world. It currently has 12,000 cases and 300 deaths from the fungus that mostly affects Covid patients on ventilators and survivors on long-term steroid treatment.But for all we know, the infection may already spreading in Nepal, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/in-nepal-virus-climbs-from-plains-to-mountains/">starting from the Tarai and moving up</a> just like the Covid second wave. The ‘black fungus’ mucormycosis is found abundantly in the soil, and thrives on steroid overuse, especially on Covid patients with diabetes and other ailments. Cleared out easily by a healthy body, mucormycosis latches on to patients whose immune systems are compromised. “Covid treatment is a double-edged sword, it suppresses the virus-induced hyperimmune response but also raises blood sugar levels and weakens infection-fighting ability, making conditions perfect for mucormycosis,” explains Sherpa.The Health Ministry  announced in its daily briefing on Thursday that there were  6,825 new confirmed Covid-19 cases-- up from Wednesday's tally of 5,316--with 5,904 recovering. This brings the total number of active cases to 576,936, with 101,839 in isolation . Of the 1,444 in hospital ICUs, 398 are on ventilator support. Those in ICUs and ventilators face a double whammy as hospitals treat them with steroids and desperately reuse uncleaned humidifiers and discarded oxygen cylinders. According to the Health Ministry, 10 to 12 patients with black fungus have been detected so far, but there may be more.Covid survivors who needed critical ICU treatment and are continuing with steroids are left more susceptible to black fungus infection anytime. Nepal’s first recorded fatality from black fungus was a 60-year-old patient in Lumbini Provincial Hospital recently recovered from Covid.“Black fungus infection has been spotted even in those recovered from Covid for the past six weeks or more,” say Khemraj Bhusal a consultant physician at Greencity Hospital. But as stable survivors are sent home they become potential<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-covid-19-impact-worse-than-official-figures/"> blind spots in black fungus tallies.</a>Hospitals in the frontlines can ill-afford to meet new shadow caseloads. Diagnosing mucormycosis infection early requires biopsies, sample examinations and even follow-up CT scans, requiring specialised personnel and advanced equipment that most district hospitals in Nepal do not have.  <figure><img width="640" height="441" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131140/636cf1ed9c7e80680e09d8d6jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>TU Teaching Hospital is one of the few facilities equipped to sample and test black fungus</figcaption></figure>While manageable if caught on time, the invasive nature of the disease is difficult to treat. In the most common rhinocerebral variety, the fungi eats through subcutaneous tissue and leaves behind characteristic black lesions on the septum and oral cavity. Infected tissues must be removed and eyes even sacrificed to save the brain from lethal infection. If left untreated, the infection has a mortality rate of 50%.   Treatment in such cases involves multiple organs, thus requiring teams of microbiologists, internal medicine specialists, intensivist neurologists, ophthalmologists, dentists and surgeons. But with civil service exams for doctors in limbo for years, rural hospitals lack the specialists necessary to deal with severe cases.Similar to the pandemic at large, life-saving shots against mucormycosis infection <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/aid-pours-into-nepal-but-where-be-vaccines/">are in short supply.</a>“Liposomal amphotericin B is an effective treatment, but fungal infections are normally so rare that antifungal production, and therefore supply, is low,” says Associate Professor of Microbiology at Tribhuvan University Megha Raj Banjara. Amphotericin treatment is extensive, with as many as 60 to 100 vials of injections needed across 4-6 weeks depending on infection severity. In the event of an outbreak, huge stockpiles are needed. Treatment is also costly, with one-day therapy costing upwards of Rs50,000.  <figure><img width="500" height="284" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131140/636cf1f09c7e80680e09d8d7jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>India has acted quick, importing 200,000 vials of AmBisome amphotericin B from American pharma company Gilead Sciences</figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, alternative medications like posaconazole and isavuconazole have toxic side effects, are also expensive and less effective. Imports of amphotericin are the only solution, but as with the pandemic, prospects do not look encouraging. India has already <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/govt-imposes-restrictions-on-export-of-amphotericin-b-injections/articleshow/83141538.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/govt-imposes-restrictions-on-export-of-amphotericin-b-injections/articleshow/83141538.cms&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622790971413000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHfCYV-2Ni2HvdjXZzhn1JDrfiduQ">imposed restrictions on amphotericin B export</a>, itself shipping in 200,000 vials from Gilead Sciences in the US, with reports of hoarding and price gouging. Despite warning signs, there has been no appeal for amphotericin shipments from the Nepal government. If that ws not enough to worry about, India is seeing signs of an early third wave, with <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-preps-for-3rd-wave-as-covid-hits-8-000-children-in-1-district-2452564" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-preps-for-3rd-wave-as-covid-hits-8-000-children-in-1-district-2452564&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622790971413000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF8kNzDFxj6SwwwJkab1rJ7ZWoPLA">8,000 children infected</a> in a single district in Maharashtra state. With low vaccine penetration in the under-18 cohort, children in Nepal could be next, just like the first two waves.Meanwhile, 1,350,000 Nepalis above age 55 are set to miss timely booster doses as there is no possibility of securing Covishield shipments from India, according to Chief of Family Welfare Division of the Health Ministry Taranath Pokhrel. He said Nepal is trying to procure the Oxford AstraZeneca from other countries for this cohort, but so far there are no firm deals.The third wave is set to hit India around July, giving Nepal about a month and half to rush vaccine doses for its vulnerable age groups.  Till then, Nepalis will be left once more to fend for themselves. Aggressive self-medication and quack remedies such as cow dung baths are rampant, leaving Covid patients at increased risk of co-infections like black fungus.  “Patients are able to buy medicines without prescriptions from lax pharmacies.” says Sherpa. “Covid patients should avoid self-medication and only medicate under the strict supervision of health professionals or risk being exposed to secondary infections.”Simple changes can mitigate black fungus. Hospitals should routinely change humidifier water for ventilated patients and avoid sharing oxygen tubes and masks, says Binita Sharma, Chief Medical Director of Netra Jyoti Sangh. She says those with symptoms should immediately get checked up.To prevent future Covid-19 waves, experts say high-disruption strategies are needed at a time when <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/as-covid-19-crests-nepal-eases-restrictions/">lockdowns are being relaxed.</a> Ultimately, it<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/vaccines-are-the-only-solution/"> will be vaccines</a> and they are needed before the third wave.

Learning to live with Covid

<img width="640" height="438" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b910a9c7e80680e06f0c6jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Many public health specialists in Nepal have been heaving a sigh of relief that the infection graph for the second wave is <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-numbers-slightly-down-in-nepal/">starting to flatten</a>, but with reports of black fungus, third wave and new variants there is no respite.Everything that India has suffered since March has repeated itself in Nepal on a smaller scale. The  black fungus outbreak could be a microcosm of the post-second wave world, of  ‘epidemics within a pandemic’ as opportunistic infections and new Covid-19 waves prey on collapsed health systems.    In theory, Nepal should not have a strong flare-up like India because we have fewer risk characteristics, says epidemiologist Lhamo Yangchen Sherpa. “Covid is communicable so it spreads regardless of demographic factors, but black fungus is rarely contagious and selective.” she says. “India’s population has a higher proportion of elderly, diabetics and immunocompromised people than us, and these are the groups most vulnerable to black fungus,” she says.Indeed, there were reports in India of black fungus even pre-Covid, with 140 cases per million, which was the highest in the world. It currently has 12,000 cases and 300 deaths from the fungus that mostly affects Covid patients on ventilators and survivors on long-term steroid treatment.But for all we know, the infection may already spreading in Nepal, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/in-nepal-virus-climbs-from-plains-to-mountains/">starting from the Tarai and moving up</a> just like the Covid second wave. The ‘black fungus’ mucormycosis is found abundantly in the soil, and thrives on steroid overuse, especially on Covid patients with diabetes and other ailments. Cleared out easily by a healthy body, mucormycosis latches on to patients whose immune systems are compromised. “Covid treatment is a double-edged sword, it suppresses the virus-induced hyperimmune response but also raises blood sugar levels and weakens infection-fighting ability, making conditions perfect for mucormycosis,” explains Sherpa.The Health Ministry  announced in its daily briefing on Thursday that there were  6,825 new confirmed Covid-19 cases-- up from Wednesday's tally of 5,316--with 5,904 recovering. This brings the total number of active cases to 576,936, with 101,839 in isolation . Of the 1,444 in hospital ICUs, 398 are on ventilator support. Those in ICUs and ventilators face a double whammy as hospitals treat them with steroids and desperately reuse uncleaned humidifiers and discarded oxygen cylinders. According to the Health Ministry, 10 to 12 patients with black fungus have been detected so far, but there may be more.Covid survivors who needed critical ICU treatment and are continuing with steroids are left more susceptible to black fungus infection anytime. Nepal’s first recorded fatality from black fungus was a 60-year-old patient in Lumbini Provincial Hospital recently recovered from Covid.“Black fungus infection has been spotted even in those recovered from Covid for the past six weeks or more,” say Khemraj Bhusal a consultant physician at Greencity Hospital. But as stable survivors are sent home they become potential<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-covid-19-impact-worse-than-official-figures/"> blind spots in black fungus tallies.</a>Hospitals in the frontlines can ill-afford to meet new shadow caseloads. Diagnosing mucormycosis infection early requires biopsies, sample examinations and even follow-up CT scans, requiring specialised personnel and advanced equipment that most district hospitals in Nepal do not have.  <figure><img width="640" height="441" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b910d9c7e80680e06f0c7jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>TU Teaching Hospital is one of the few facilities equipped to sample and test black fungus</figcaption></figure>While manageable if caught on time, the invasive nature of the disease is difficult to treat. In the most common rhinocerebral variety, the fungi eats through subcutaneous tissue and leaves behind characteristic black lesions on the septum and oral cavity. Infected tissues must be removed and eyes even sacrificed to save the brain from lethal infection. If left untreated, the infection has a mortality rate of 50%.   Treatment in such cases involves multiple organs, thus requiring teams of microbiologists, internal medicine specialists, intensivist neurologists, ophthalmologists, dentists and surgeons. But with civil service exams for doctors in limbo for years, rural hospitals lack the specialists necessary to deal with severe cases.Similar to the pandemic at large, life-saving shots against mucormycosis infection <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/aid-pours-into-nepal-but-where-be-vaccines/">are in short supply.</a>“Liposomal amphotericin B is an effective treatment, but fungal infections are normally so rare that antifungal production, and therefore supply, is low,” says Associate Professor of Microbiology at Tribhuvan University Megha Raj Banjara. Amphotericin treatment is extensive, with as many as 60 to 100 vials of injections needed across 4-6 weeks depending on infection severity. In the event of an outbreak, huge stockpiles are needed. Treatment is also costly, with one-day therapy costing upwards of Rs50,000.  <figure><img width="500" height="284" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121136/636b910f9c7e80680e06f0c8jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>India has acted quick, importing 200,000 vials of AmBisome amphotericin B from American pharma company Gilead Sciences</figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, alternative medications like posaconazole and isavuconazole have toxic side effects, are also expensive and less effective. Imports of amphotericin are the only solution, but as with the pandemic, prospects do not look encouraging. India has already <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/govt-imposes-restrictions-on-export-of-amphotericin-b-injections/articleshow/83141538.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/govt-imposes-restrictions-on-export-of-amphotericin-b-injections/articleshow/83141538.cms&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622790971413000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHfCYV-2Ni2HvdjXZzhn1JDrfiduQ">imposed restrictions on amphotericin B export</a>, itself shipping in 200,000 vials from Gilead Sciences in the US, with reports of hoarding and price gouging. Despite warning signs, there has been no appeal for amphotericin shipments from the Nepal government. If that ws not enough to worry about, India is seeing signs of an early third wave, with <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-preps-for-3rd-wave-as-covid-hits-8-000-children-in-1-district-2452564" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-preps-for-3rd-wave-as-covid-hits-8-000-children-in-1-district-2452564&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1622790971413000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF8kNzDFxj6SwwwJkab1rJ7ZWoPLA">8,000 children infected</a> in a single district in Maharashtra state. With low vaccine penetration in the under-18 cohort, children in Nepal could be next, just like the first two waves.Meanwhile, 1,350,000 Nepalis above age 55 are set to miss timely booster doses as there is no possibility of securing Covishield shipments from India, according to Chief of Family Welfare Division of the Health Ministry Taranath Pokhrel. He said Nepal is trying to procure the Oxford AstraZeneca from other countries for this cohort, but so far there are no firm deals.The third wave is set to hit India around July, giving Nepal about a month and half to rush vaccine doses for its vulnerable age groups.  Till then, Nepalis will be left once more to fend for themselves. Aggressive self-medication and quack remedies such as cow dung baths are rampant, leaving Covid patients at increased risk of co-infections like black fungus.  “Patients are able to buy medicines without prescriptions from lax pharmacies.” says Sherpa. “Covid patients should avoid self-medication and only medicate under the strict supervision of health professionals or risk being exposed to secondary infections.”Simple changes can mitigate black fungus. Hospitals should routinely change humidifier water for ventilated patients and avoid sharing oxygen tubes and masks, says Binita Sharma, Chief Medical Director of Netra Jyoti Sangh. She says those with symptoms should immediately get checked up.To prevent future Covid-19 waves, experts say high-disruption strategies are needed at a time when <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/as-covid-19-crests-nepal-eases-restrictions/">lockdowns are being relaxed.</a> Ultimately, it<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/vaccines-are-the-only-solution/"> will be vaccines</a> and they are needed before the third wave.

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111012110/636cda029c7e80680e092ed4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>Photo: AMIT MACHAMASI</figcaption></figure>Nepal is seeing the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/thick-haze-adds-to-nepal-covid-19-woes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first signs of a second Covid-19 surge</a> even as its vaccination drive is suspended, and as survivors live with ‘Long Covid’.Doctors and hospitals are reporting a significant proportion of infected individuals with what is now called ‘<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-tragedy-of-the-post-covid-long-haulers-2020101521173" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Long Covid</a>’ or ‘post-acute Covid-19 syndrome’ in which survivors continue to struggle with extended after-effects of the illness.<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/brain-fog-other-neurologic-symptoms-can-last-months-after-covid-n1261810" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Months after testing negative</a>, many of them still suffer from fatigue, shortness of breathing, joint pains, headaches, prolonged cough, chest pain, loss of appetite and brain fog.Long after he recovered from his coronavirus infection last October, 37-year-old Purna Rai says he is still not feeling completely well. After two weeks of isolation and testing negative, he suffered from insomnia, panic attacks and anxiety. Rai was first told he had gastritis, and later sodium deficiency. Then the doctors even referred him to a psychiatric ward to see if he had 'post-Covid' symptoms.“I used to have difficulty breathing, it used to feel like I had stopped breathing. I even thought I might have Covid again,” recalls Rai who finally recovered with proper medication, diet, meditation, yoga and consultation with friends and families.As Nepal’s health authorities come to terms with signs of a second wave, and the<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/1-6-million-vaccinated-20-million-to-go/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> vaccination campaign on hold</a> because of the lack of doses due to India’s export ban on Covishield, they also have to deal with patients whose symptoms have never gone away.In addition, there is the worry that even those who have had Covid-19 in the past, the immunity erodes as time goes on and there is a danger of re-infection. It is also not known if the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective against the new strains, and if so how long the immunity lasts.Binu Acharya, 80, was severely sick with Covid-19 along with some members of her family last September. Everyone in her family tested negative and ultimately recovered, but for Acharya, it has been one long convalescence.“Ever since I had Covid, I have never recovered properly, I have never been myself, I have difficulty climbing stairs and breathing and feel weak all the time,” says Acharya, who adds that after she got her first Covishield dose she felt like she had the illness all over again.Deepak Sundar Shrestha of Subekchya Internal Hospital consults patients like Rai and Acharya regularly. Studies have shown that about 20-30% of Covid-19 patients suffer from <a href="https://www.thereporter.com/2021/03/23/long-covid-emerges-in-more-than-one-quarter-of-healthy-people-with-modest-initial-illness-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">long-term symptoms of the infection</a>.“First of all, it is important to know and understand long Covid and that the symptoms could either be psychosomatic or real,” says Shrestha. “And because a notable portion of patients suffers from this condition, having 50,000 people in Nepal with Long Covid has a huge cost.”A team of doctors at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu has started researching Long Covid in Nepal. Preliminary findings show that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56509340" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">women are more susceptible</a> whereas only 28% of men suffered from long-term after-effects. Researchers are now trying to find out how many of them endured the condition for more than six months.There is no one medication for Long Covid, but the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/health/coronavirus-patients-and-vaccine-effects.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vaccines have been found to be effective</a> in reducing the severity of symptoms, and in some cases even treating them.Western countries are also running <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/inside-post-covid-clinics-how-specialized-centers-are-trying-treat-n1258879" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">post-Covid clinics</a> with teams of dedicated physiotherapists, dieticians, lung doctors, physicians and psychiatrists. However, here in Nepal, even health professionals are sometimes unaware of the condition.“I took every test possible to figure out why I had suddenly developed shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue and discomfort six months after getting Covid-19,” recalls Sirju Agrawal of Vedanta Dental Clinic.“If medical personnel like me felt like this, I can’t imagine what the general public must be experiencing. We need to better communicate and counsel people about Long Covid.”

Had Covid? Beware of Long Covid.

Architecture can be a powerful agent of change, shaping not just spaces but the way people live, connect, and experience the world.&nbsp; For Nepal, which is <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/natures-fragile-gift-to-nepal">gifted by nature</a> and rich in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/ambassador-fund-cultural-preservation-nepal,2092">cultural heritage</a>, &nbsp;reviving rural architecture with modern amenities could hold the key to more <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/what-sustainable-tourism-means-in-practice">sustainable tourism </a>that benefits local people more. “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/bayalpata-hospital-in-nepal-wins-global-design-award">Design and architecture</a> are amazing tools to create a unique experience for visitors,” says Spanish architect Tomeu Esteva of Esteva i Esteva Architecture Studio. “Difficult destinations have beautiful hotels with design and comfort.” Esteva was in Kathmandu with his colleagues at an event organised by the Spanish Honorary Consulate at Dwarika’s Hotel last week to showcase buildings which Nepali architects can adapt with local material and design inputs.&nbsp; Rural architecture holds a unique significance: it is more than a shelter and must reflect <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/inking-an-idenity">local identity, culture</a> and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-humla-from-heritage-loss">heritage</a>. An area’s natural and cultural harmony can be upset by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/protecting-protected-areas-from-infrastructure?fbclid=IwAR1wK0MDFlFST_2EYb3f54LS4-fPt6rYfLG1DJ1JaQsU3w8-ezyXIxGOqzk">poorly planned development</a>, speakers at the event said, but the environment can be improved and revitalised by well-integrated structures.&nbsp; Another Spanish architect, Belen Moneo, has designed hotels at elevations of 3,700m in her home country Spain that supply natural spring water spas. “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/lost-in-reconstruction">Creativity in construction</a> must be encouraged. Rural architecture always shows possibilities of what we can do better,” Moneo explains, adding that designs must enhance <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-healing-power-of-nature">the beauty of nature</a> and give a natural feel at a time when steel, glass and cement dominate <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/rebuilding-kathmandu-after-the-1934-quake">urban design</a>.&nbsp; This is why the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/weaving-nature-into-craft">use of natural products</a> such as bamboo, local timber, straw and rammed earth are in demand from customers who want a fresh eco-friendly look encouraged in construction of rural architectural structures. The demand for boutique hotels has increased world over, with &nbsp;more and more tourists favouring aesthetics, experience and comfort over price. While creativity is an important part of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/architecture-for-mountains">construction and architecture</a>, incentives to build and use <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Building,370">rural construction materials</a> still remain minimal, and Moneo emphasises the significance of design and execution.&nbsp; Esteva helped design the Vana Retreat in Dehradun that kept the natural environment in focus, with the structure giving an elaborate aesthetic experience to visitors. Another example is Hotel Las Mercedes in the Dominican Republic which was designed and constructed by Moneo and the company she co-founded Moneo Brock, respecting and revaluing the traditional architecture of the area. Hotels providing such experience could attract tourists and revenue. The Spanish ambassador to Nepal Juan Antonio March Pujol said, “The role of architecture and architects in developing tourism is crucial, not only in urban areas but rural settings as well.”&nbsp; The concept of rural boutique hotels gained traction in Spain during the 1990s, particularly in regions like Majorca with economic and environmental sustainability as the main focus. In Nepal <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/12-full-opinion/guiding-nepal-s-tourism-industry">the tourism industry</a> directly employs about 1 million people, and makes up about 8% of the country’s GDP. In Nepal, the stone homes of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/reviving-himalayan-vulture-and-culture">Mustang and Manang</a>, bamboo and mud structures of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-tarai-s-shrinking-forests">the Tarai</a>, and the Kathmandu Valley’s terra cotta tile skylines, graceful temples, and tranquil bahal courtyards are all examples of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-traditional-seismic-resistant-designs">Nepal’s traditional architecture</a>.&nbsp; Nepali architect Sarosh Pradhan has been working for the past eight years on the Brakka Village project in Manang Valley north of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/municipalities-want-to-manage-annapurna">the Annapurnas</a>. Other examples of this kind of rural architecture for high-end tourism are the Shinta Mani Hotel in Mustang and Khumbu Lodge below <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mt-everest-pvt-ltd">Mt Everest</a>. Says Pradhan, “There are places in Nepal that radiate purity and embrace simplicity. Creating projects in such settings require deep reflection and thoughtful planning.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421030444_a07a23f6b60fa89c0f35b9dc1aaf19937da4881e6bfb2e1858f3c27dff91729f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_19" data-image-id="20250421030444_a07a23f6b60fa89c0f35b9dc1aaf19937da4881e6bfb2e1858f3c27dff91729f" data-rendition-name="original" width="4608" height="2184" loading="lazy" alt="A new architecture for Nepal's tourism"> </figure>  Rural architecture is not easy, and sometimes more expensive. Inflation, energy efficiency, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/those-who-stay">the climate crisis</a>, and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/cost-of-living-in-a-big-city">increased costs of living</a> pose obstacles to sustainable rural architecture. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/forgotten-international-starchitects-in-nepal">Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal</a>, Anne Feenstra and Varun S Bapu Esteva says faith and trust between client and architect is necessary for any project to be successful. He adds that architects must practice being humble, the process of designing always involves learning and not imposing their ideas on clients. Nepal is uniquely positioned for the growth of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/hiking-up-the-benefits-of-tourism">rural tourism</a> because of its stunning countryside as well as its internationally renowned traditions in holistic wellness. Creating infrastructure that is small, thoughtfully planned and that respects both tradition and contemporary hospitality standards is crucial. “Projects in Nepal can be made cost effective by using materials from houses that have been brought down,” says Esteva. “Pilot projects involving <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/local-government-by-the-people-for-the-people-of-the-people">local people </a>and simple designing also helps the process.” <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/vacant-homes-become-homestays-in-nepal">The growth of homestays in Nepal</a> is a step in the right direction, but they are still a bit too rustic for the international traveller who also wants comfort and is willing to pay extra for it. Upgrading the facilities in homestays and ensuring that the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-archive-of-nepali-heritage">architectural heritage</a> of the locality is preserved using locally sourced building material could allow owners to charge more. Says Sangita Shrestha of Dwarika’s Hotel, “Our effort is to build upon rural architecture by empowering local communities and using what is available locally. We can fine tune and encourage indigenous design and training.” The vision goes beyond just boosting the economy, it is about building a future where tourism helps villages grow in a healthy and lasting way. Instead of using up resources, it gives back to the land and the people. It supports local communities by<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/staying-in-nepal-to-create-jobs"> creating jobs</a>, improving infrastructure, and protecting natural beauty. When done right, tourism can be a tool for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/progress-and-or-preservation">preserving culture and nature</a>, not harming them. Architects must therefore see their work as more than just designing buildings, they also need to care deeply about people and places, especially in rural areas that can benefit the most.&nbsp; With global interest in sustainable and off-the-beaten-path travel increasing, Nepal stands at the cusp of a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/missing-out-on-nepal-s-tourism-potential">tourism transformation</a> that values community-driven, eco-conscious hospitality. A mix of modern ideas and traditional knowledge could transform rural tourism in Nepal. Says Shrestha, “Young architects should spend time with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/the-unsung-heroes-of-conservation">local and indigenous communities</a>, listen to their stories, and learn from their <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/life-and-livelihood-in-remote-nepal">ways of living</a>. These communities have deep knowledge about the land, materials, and climate. If this wisdom is used in new designs, it can help create tourism spaces that truly benefit everyone.” &nbsp;

A new architecture for Nepal's tourism

Extract from an addendum to Nepal's Two Wars, Chapter 2 in the updated edition of Essays on Nepal: Past and Present by Sam Cowan, a retired British Army general with a long association with the Gurkhas. The book was first published in 2018, and republished earlier this month by FinePrint exclusively on Amazon. The addendum details a one-to-one conversation the author had in the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8884">Royal Palace </a>with the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8371">King Gyanendra</a> in November 2002 just after he had taken his initial steps on the road that ultimately led to <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=14681">the abolition of the monarchy</a> in Nepal in 2008. In the early evening of September 16, 2002, in my role as Colonel Commandant of the Brigade of Gurkhas, I had my second and last official audience with King Gyanendra to give him an update on the Brigade’s activities over the previous 12 months. I had some 6 or 7 such audiences with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/preserving-king-birendra-s-family-home">King Birendra</a>.&nbsp; These were official affairs with the British ambassador of the day present, along with key <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=12233">palace officials</a> and a representative from Nepal's Foreign Ministry. The two monarchs were very different in character and temperament, but both treated me with the utmost civility and made the audiences as relaxed and easy for me as possible.&nbsp; It is, however, worth recording that when the official business had been covered, King Birendra, with a twinkle in his eye, often ended by asking, “Now General, what’s the gossip in London?” The second audience with <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8026">King Gyanendra </a>was my last official act in uniform. We came back to Kathmandu in the first week of November (after treks) to stay for a few nights with our Defence Attaché before heading back to the UK. Waiting for me was a message from the Palace saying that King Gyanendra would like to meet me informally: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6933">no uniform</a> and no ambassador.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080420_f9046f9882d4481781d14f2b64f18c7fbbea62562e1d74e3465de6d01fb43750.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20250421080420_f9046f9882d4481781d14f2b64f18c7fbbea62562e1d74e3465de6d01fb43750" data-rendition-name="original" width="1750" height="2406" loading="lazy" alt="Gyanendra crowned page 1"> <figcaption>Nepali Times Special Edition of 6-14 June 2001 with enthronement of Gyanendra. </figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080424_21333d6ae21828eb47fe3f849438d215fe2804460d47bb2896ef4aee4e895ad2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250421080424_21333d6ae21828eb47fe3f849438d215fe2804460d47bb2896ef4aee4e895ad2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1857" loading="lazy" alt="Royal massacre"> <figcaption>Nepali Times 22-29 June 2001 covering the royal massacre after which Gyanendra became king. </figcaption> </figure>  Although I had no idea what the purpose of the meeting might be, events in Kathmandu since I last saw the king put me on edge. On October 4, 2002, Gyanendra had dismissed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, allegedly for failing to hold <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/what-goes-on-in-nepal-s-elections">elections</a>. He had put in place a new prime minister and a cabinet personally selected by him. When I heard the news on my travels, the people I met were generally supportive of the king’s actions. There was a general view that something had to be done, the country was going nowhere, and the king deserved his chance, not least to solve<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/14-years-after-conflict-no-closure-in-nepal"> the Maoist </a>problem. Back in Kathmandu, views were not so sanguine. The chosen prime minister, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, was a relic from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/mob-movement-and-mayhem">the Panchayat period</a> whose party had failed to win a single seat in the last elections held in 1999. Some of the chosen cabinet ministers had, to put it mildly, dubious reputations, and others had no record of proven competence in any field. There was a fear that the king’s real motive in dismissing <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/deubas-denouement">Deuba</a> was to start to reverse the democratic gains made since 1990. I informed <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-britain-mark-centenary-of-1923-treaty">the British ambassador</a> about the invitation. He was strongly against accepting it, which was probably the clinching reason for my decision to do the polite thing and accept it. On the evening of November 7, 2002, I presented myself at the royal palace, alone and in civilian attire.&nbsp; As in the past, the Military Secretary, Major General Vivek Shah, met and escorted me into the presence of the monarch. This time, however, he was politely asked to leave the room and shut the door behind him. King Gyanendra greeted me warmly and invited me to sit down.&nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-ghost-of-monarchy-returns-to-haunt-nepal"> The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal</a>, Shristi Karki  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080424_e382af945d0ad2a04ae41fabe5393f793dd10f54cb1220f111c7c9e7423eb558.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="20250421080424_e382af945d0ad2a04ae41fabe5393f793dd10f54cb1220f111c7c9e7423eb558" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="993" loading="lazy" alt="Gyanendra coup"> <figcaption>Nepali Times 4-10 February 2005 after king Gyanendra's coup imposed media censorship. anendra became king. </figcaption> </figure>  I had wondered, and to be truthful, had worried, not just about the purpose of the meeting, but about how the conversation might start and develop. I reduced my resolve to two points: be polite but speak candidly. The latter resolve was quickly put to the test with the king’s opening words: “Sam, [in previous meetings it had been ‘General’, you walk the highways and byways of this land more than most, tell me what the common man is thinking?” &nbsp;“Your Majesty, I have no idea what they are thinking, but they are waiting.” “Waiting?” “Yes, Your Majesty, they are waiting to see whether what you did some weeks ago in appointing your own prime minister and cabinet ministers is going to make any difference to their lives or whether it is just going to be more Kathmandu hot air.” “Everything is going to be difficult and is going to take time, a lot of time.” “Your Majesty, time is the one thing you don’t have. You must act quickly and decisively to take advantage of the opportunity you have created. Everyone knows that you have appointed these new ministers. Why don’t you get them in here one by one and tell them that they have three months to deliver a programme in their area of responsibility that is going to make a difference to people’s lives? Most will fail to do so. Sack them! It will be a powerful signal of your strong intent to deliver real change.” I can express the opening of our conversation in this way because just about every word is still etched in my mind. The king’s response to my last quoted words was to challenge me to give an example of something that could be delivered quickly. I can give a verbatim record of what I said in response to this unexpected challenge: “Health posts, Your Majesty, there is no shortage of them throughout the country as building them has been one of the sources of local corruption, but very few have any medicine to issue at present or have skilled people to assess and meet medical needs. Your Majesty, children are dying for lack of a few pills. Given the right priority, over a period, say of six months, every health post could be fully stocked with medicine and manned with trained people. This is something I could help to lead for you as I know it would have strong international backing. At last, people would know that you mean business.” As I warmed to the theme, I could see no sign of the king having any enthusiasm for the idea, and I quickly disengaged as it dawned on me, as it had clearly dawned on the king, that the reason for the deficiencies in health posts was to prevent any Maoist combatant from gaining access to any <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/tech-away/nepal-s-health-tech-industry-is-here-to-stay">medical support</a>, and if this meant people suffering, so be it. The subject of the Maoist insurgency inevitably came up, and I took the opportunity to elaborate on what is written in the final four paragraphs of the article above. I advised King Gyanendra that, self-evidently, since there were three parties in the conflict—him, the Maoists, and the political parties—it was imperative that he form an alliance with one of them, preferably the political parties; otherwise, he would find himself isolated, as the other two parties would inevitably, at some stage, form their own alliance. However, it quickly became apparent that the king’s mind was on a totally different track. On the Maoists, he told me that he had channels open to them, but he was scathing about the political party leaders. He made it clear that they would be waiting for a very long time before he gave any power back to them, and that is a polite way of expressing the actual words he used, but “crawling through the door” is a phrase which has stuck in my mind.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080424_5403455ff6168f0d202a96cb53edea69136d74d59b989cfcc7cc4a1d57672cb5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20250421080424_5403455ff6168f0d202a96cb53edea69136d74d59b989cfcc7cc4a1d57672cb5" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1317" loading="lazy" alt="fall of monarchy"> <figcaption>Nepali Times 28 April-3 May 2005 with cover image by Ajay Joshi of jubilant protesters after street demonstrations sidelined king Gyanendra, paving the way for a ceasfire and restoration of democracy. </figcaption> </figure>  As the conversation developed, it became ever clearer that King Gyanendra had decided to go in alone, relying on the misleading assurances he was constantly receiving from <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=14954">the army</a>, and no doubt his close advisers, that the Maoists could and would be quickly defeated militarily, and taken out of the equation. This would obviate the need for him to do any deal with the political parties.&nbsp; Thus, the way would be clear for him to establish a version of his father’s Panchayat system, under a constitution that would be granted to the people by him, their sovereign, as his father and brother had done in 1962 and 1990. As in those constitutions, ultimate power would have remained in the sovereign’s hands. This proposed direction of travel was very clear from what the king said to me. In sum, King Gyanendra was motivated by a desire to emulate his immediate predecessors by granting his people a constitution that would restore his father’s Panchayat system in a modern form and give him a central role in decision-making. What was particularly dispiriting was that beyond this single objective he had no plan worthy of the name, nor demonstrably did he have the people with the skills to implement an appropriate plan even if one had existed. Crucially and depressingly, there was little or no indication from the king that he realised that such a course of action could put Nepal’s monarchy into serious jeopardy, as indeed proved to be the case. <h2>King Twice</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250420110436_315d519fe3d68d2406ebe1480fed54720fbf21b8907a4da5cde751fdc623d445.jpg" data-media-id="editor_19" data-image-id="20250420110436_315d519fe3d68d2406ebe1480fed54720fbf21b8907a4da5cde751fdc623d445" data-rendition-name="original" width="1302" height="632" loading="lazy" alt="“Tell me what the common man is thinking!”"> </figure>  <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8371">Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah has been king twice</a>. In 1950 he was enthroned briefly as a child king (left, above) by the Rana Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher when his grandfather, King Tribhuvan, fled to exile in India. In 2001 he was crowned king again after the massacre in the royal palace in which his brother King Birendra and nine other members of his family were killed by Crown Prince Dipendra.&nbsp; During his second reign, Gyanendra gradually asserted power by sacking Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in 2002, and then taking full control after the 1 February 2005 coup. He was sidelined after the ceasefire in April 2006, and became a commoner after the Constituent Assembly finally <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/Ftnp-abolishing,624">abolished the monarchy in 2008</a>. In the past year, Gyanendra has tried to exploit public dissatisfaction with the political parties to restore the monarchy.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080432_26ef4a4b0e3cee9fdc6794446702efe16550d293904b4f6dd46fe35d4d10c788.jpg" data-media-id="editor_22" data-image-id="20250421080432_26ef4a4b0e3cee9fdc6794446702efe16550d293904b4f6dd46fe35d4d10c788" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="Essays on Nepal by Sam Cowen"> </figure>

“Tell me what the common man is thinking!”

“It's Kathmandu.” Just as the family was sitting down for one of its extended lunches, that jubilant cry was from François Driard’s grandfather announcing the next posting for his diplomat parents.&nbsp; Driard (pictured) was 18 in the summer of 1996,<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/suburban-tales/chasing-a-nomad"> a bit of a hippie</a> already, and his life was about to change forever with the magical word “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/time-capsule-of-kathmandu">Kathmandu</a>”. “I was awed with that information from my grandfather, nothing else mattered … In France <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/tales-of-courage-and-suffering-cx95f89e">in the 1990s</a>, Kathmandu had a mythical aura,” Driard recalls. He came to Kathmandu for Christmas that year to visit his stepfather, the French Ambassador Michel Lummaux. It was to be the first of many visits during school holidays, before he decided to permanently settle down in Nepal. “Kathmandu, and Nepal, were very different then, it was magical, I liked the nature, the people, civilisation, temples, trees,” says Driard, who explored the country sitting on the top of buses. “Visitors talk about the crazy <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/cost-of-living-in-a-big-city">urbanisation</a>, traffic jams today, and all that is true. But Kathmandu has not <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/loss-of-soul-and-soil">lost its soul</a>.” After his stepfather’s tenure in Nepal ended, Driard worked as a business reporter for international publications but decided he did not want to be anyone’s employee anymore. In 2007 he landed in Kathmandu with €20,000 in savings to invest.&nbsp; He knew a few crucial things about himself: he liked food and nature, which is very much tied up with his upbringing--full of lively conversations during lunch and dinner at the family table between <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-yak-cheese-is-on-world-map">abundant cheese, wine and cigars</a>. So he decided it would be cheese, and registered Himalayan French Cheese and went to the French Alps for a month to learn how to make Tomme de Savoie. “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-story-of-langtang-cheese">Cheese making is such an ancient craft </a>and so I thought I won’t need much money or studying which I hated and indeed, if you have a tamako bhado and fire you are set,” explains Driard. But Nepal’s temperature and humidity were not ideal, even at higher altitudes. The first customers for his cheese were the Hyatt Regency and Nina and Hager. But he needed to create a market for cheese in a country which only knew hard churpi in the north and soft paneer in the south. He started selling his cheeses at the Summit Hotel weekend market, expanding to his own 1905 Farmer’s Market which later moved to Le Sherpa in Maharajganj, where it is now, and also a market at Labim Mall in Pulchok. He had cow dairies in Nuwakot and Dhulikhel, and finally a yak cheese unit at 3,379m in Ramechhap. It was the yak blue cheese from here that went on to win a Gold Medal in France, putting Nepal’s French cheese on the world map. “People come and try our cheese at the market, they ask questions. There is a lot of education to be done about cheese,” adds Driard, who also has three cheese shops in the Valley. Driard now makes 25 types of cheese. The products are being noticed and every year he has French students coming to Nepal to learn the art of yak cheese making. “In France, one family or company makes one kind of cheese for generations. In that I’m very unique as a cheese artisan,” he says. “The students come in to learn but I tell them to also teach us something too, add another cheese to my collection.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/langtang-after-10-years">Langtang after 10 years</a>, Sonia Awale Being a foodie, Driard is now also dabbling in meat with his own charcuterie at Meatini with bacon, ham, sausage and pâtés. All of this is now served at his Emilio’s Pizza, a leafy hideaway in Lazimpat. His South Side in Moksh is probably the smallest wine bar in the world. “I call the process sublime,” says Driard of his ventures, which have grown organically. “You need the same temperature and humidity of 12°C and 80% for cheese, meat and wine.” Emilio’s speciality is the eight-cheese pizza (which has eight types of cheeses), and a pizza with bhutan topping (not the country but fried intestines and organs Nepali-style). He has opened a small branch at Courtyard in Pokhara.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250426070456_bacae302c040dc18eeecdeafda72ddf06a6d2cec138ea9be7e45fe94cdf8b5b3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250426070456_bacae302c040dc18eeecdeafda72ddf06a6d2cec138ea9be7e45fe94cdf8b5b3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="8 cheese pizza"> <figcaption>Eight-cheese pizza</figcaption> </figure>  With two artisanal cheese units, two farmers’ markets, a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-meat-of-the-story">meat processing unit</a>, a bakery, and wine bar he now envisions a vineyard so he can add Nepali wine to his repertoire. Another future plan is to start up an agri-tourism business where customers can drink, eat and work in peace. In the past 20 years in Nepal, Driard has not always succeeded in his ventures but this hasn’t curbed his enthusiasm. He is learning as he goes, and like an old wine, Nepal is growing on him. Its slowness suits his French art de vivre with eating slowly outdoors, having conversation, importing less.&nbsp; “I have proven that with even a little money you can do a lot of things in Nepal,” adds Driard. “In the West, they easily invest half a million euros on a cheese factory, I invested 10 times less.”&nbsp;

Fromage, vin et charcuterie Népalais

Bhuthan भुठान starts with Bishnu Bahadur KC played by <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/dhuwa-smoke-telefilm,2671">Hari Bansha Acharya</a> on a call, requesting to speak to the visa officer. By this point, he had <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-should-now-allow-visa-on-arrival">applied for a visa </a>to Bhutan 10 times, but was denied each time. KC was a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-women-excel-in-sports-in-2024-z9ramyct">national football player </a>in Bhutan in 1988 before he and other Nepali-speaking Lhotsampa people were forced out of the country in the 1990s as part of the Druk regime’s ‘One Nation One People’ campaign. Over 100,000 Bhutanese Nepalis were forced out, driven across India and dumped in Nepal where they lived in seven<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/elderly-left-in-bhutan-refugee-camp"> refugee camps</a> supervised by the United Nations and other charities until they were resettled in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and some European countries starting in 2007. In the fictional movie with the satirical English title The World’s Happiest Man, KC has resettled in the state of Ohio in the US but wishes to visit his home country once before he dies. Between flashbacks, we learn KC has died without having fulfilled his wish. &nbsp; The drama then focuses on KC’s two families from two marriages as they debate whether to cremate him as per <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/muslim-hindu,2996">Hindu rites </a>or give him a Christian burial. A mediator played by Hollywood actor Bruce Dern urges them to take a firm decision before it is too long.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250430140420_b398a08091b866da2b0b8f6c1e6e26781609749aba896bfd2c68a10a519295c3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20250430140420_b398a08091b866da2b0b8f6c1e6e26781609749aba896bfd2c68a10a519295c3" data-rendition-name="original" width="945" height="945" loading="lazy" alt="Bhutan, the movie"> </figure>  There are drawn out scenes of KC being baptised and when he is confronted by his first wife from Darjeeling played by Anuradha Majumdar, he says he changed his religion in the hope that he will be <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/bhutan-s-refugees-between-hope-and-despair">allowed back in Bhutan</a>.&nbsp; We find out KC has a second wife, a Christian Nepali played by Puja Chand. Dayahang Rai as the younger son doesn’t have much screen time to flex his acting chops. &nbsp; Acharya competently portrays a man that is equal parts haunted by the memories of and longing for his home country. KC’s pain and loss is acute when he is teaching football to Gungun but between mid-scene, he freezes, perhaps lost in memories of being in Bhutan’s national team. &nbsp; In another scene, KC recalls his mother singing a lullaby in Dzongkha. He also has a box filled with medals, photographs and a football which he deflates with a knife in a powerful depiction of his <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/searching-for-a-homeland-away-from-home?fb_comment_id=1506516030025634">complicated emotions about his homeland</a>. KC keeps checking his mailbox in the hopes that his <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4977">visa application</a> has been accepted. He says in Nepali: “If a tree that has already struck roots in one place is shifted to another, it will not survive.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250430140420_4a9c27410326489576c04dedf40016bda3825e8f9663317f54fbfec4cbda6d34.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250430140420_4a9c27410326489576c04dedf40016bda3825e8f9663317f54fbfec4cbda6d34" data-rendition-name="original" width="1422" height="2048" loading="lazy" alt="Bhutan, the movie"> </figure>  Dern’s character says that the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/nepal-s-transitional-justice-and-the-west-s-recalibration">western world</a> has become “lonely in pursuit of happiness”, another reference to Bhutan’s obsession with its Gross National Happiness index. Scenes shift quickly throughout making the story difficult to follow at times. The use of symbolism is a trite overdone. Nonetheless, भुठान is a nuanced depiction of raw pain and agony of losing one’s homeland. But one cannot help but leave the theatre feeling deflated. KC dies without having visited <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/small-bhutan-dreams-big">Bhutan</a>, but perhaps he does in his afterlife. It is up to the audience to create its own ending to this sad story of exile. भुठान Mad Monkey Films, 2025 Directed by Binod Paudel 102 minutes In cinemas in Nepal