https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Cvph_7Sjc&amp;feature=youtu.beLike every monsoon, this year has also seen a spike in snakebite deaths across the country. In the Tarai, emergency wards are crowded with patients as doctors try to cope. At least 15 people have died so far in Saptari, Sarlahi, Morang and Rautahat, districts that were also hardest hit by <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/flood-of-recrimination/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">floods</a> last month.There are at least 40,000 cases of snakebite every year in Nepal, with some 3,000 fatalities in the Tarai alone. But a recent epidemiological study found the death rate from <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-a%20pound-of-prevention,575" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">snakebite</a> has come down from 18.7% 20 years ago to 6.62%, largely because of awareness and anti-venom treatment.Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/snakebite-is-treatable-no-one-need-die-from-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"Snakebite is treatable, no one need die from it."</a>Globally, 5.5 million snakebites occur every year, with up to 138,000 deaths. Another 400,000 people require amputations and suffer severe injuries. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka together account for 70% of global snakebite mortality. But it was not until 2017 that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised snakebite as a neglected tropical disease, and came up with a roadmap to reduce risk.In Nepal too, snakebite never received the attention it deserved. It is not communicable or infectious, is rare and tropical and affects the poorest people.“Snakebite is a severely neglected public health burden in Nepal. There is so much we don’t know about snakes and their venoms, and there are signs it is going to get worse with climate change,” warned Sher Bahadur Pun of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kathmandu. (See box) <figure><img width="1400" height="939" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52599c7e80680e0522ecjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY</figcaption></figure>High Level Meeting and Workshop on Snakebite in Nepal on 2-3 August in Kathmandu, is the first international conference on snakebite in the country. Taking part are 20 of the world's foremost  authorities on snakebite including David Warrell of Oxford, David Williams, head of the Global Snakebite Initiative (see interview, page 7), Ulrich Kuch of Goethe University in Frankfurt, and Priyanka Kadam from India, and 50 Nepali scientists are taking part.Nepal is aiming to be one of 11 member countries on WHO’s roadmap for snakebites, and is trying to muster serious commitment from the government for research and treatment.“We hope to sensitise policymakers and the public about the hidden burden of this neglected tropical disease,” said Sanjib K Sharma, a doctor at the BP Koirala Institute for Health Science in Dharan, one of the conference organisers. “We also want to start working on developing anti-venoms in Nepal instead of depending on imports.”Of the four types of anti-venom imported for the 21 types of poisonous snakes in Nepal, one doesn’t work and three others are not reliable. In fact, 80% of people here who are administered anti-venom suffer from reactions, 12% of which are fatal. Activists in India are now lobbying to stop the export of anti-venom because of unmet domestic need.Anti-venom is produced by injecting donor animals such as horses and sheep with venom, and then extracting the antigen from the blood. But the procedure is expensive – a vial of anti-venom costs up to $2,200. Since snakebite requires between 20-25 vials to neutralise the venom, the pharmacy bill alone would total $30,000 per patient. Global production is limited, and most snake bites can only be cured with anti-venom from that particular species.WHO’s target is to halve the numbers of deaths and disability from snakebite by 2030, and the Wellcome Trust and UK Department for International Development (Dfid) have announced £80 million and £9 million respectively for the development of a universal anti-venom. However, clinical trials will take decades.Nepal’s challenge is at ground level. Awareness about preventing snakebite is still low, people prefer to visit traditional healers if bitten, and many patients get to anti-venom centres too late. Even so, snakebite fatalities fell from 10.5% to 0.5% after motorcycle volunteers were deployed in a pilot project in 2013. (see box)Diana Barr of the Australian Venom Research Institute at the University of Melbourne says Nepal and Bangladesh are best equipped to take the WHO strategy forward. “You’ve got some of the key things, like local expertise, your health ministry is pushing for change, and there is support from outside organisations,” she told Nepali Times. “Nepal can easily implement the WHO strategy and get dramatic results in a couple of years.”Experts attending the Kathmandu conference this weekend believe the WHO target of halving snakebite deaths is doable. All it needs is effective treatment, trained nurses and doctors who deliver that treatment, educating the community to take simple precautions, and come to hospitals sooner if bitten.Said Sharma of BPKIHS: “The universal vaccine is the holy grail for snakebite treatment, but until then we have to work on anti-venom epidemiology within the country and educate people about snakebites.” <h2>Motorcycle volunteers to the rescue</h2> <figure><img width="1250" height="1068" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a525c9c7e80680e0522edjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> TWO-WHEELS GOOD: Snakebite victim held firmly between motorcycle volunteer driver and relative and being rushed to hospital. The fatality rate fell by ten times in this pilot project in the Eastern Tarai. Pic: SANJIB K SHARMA</figcaption></figure>One of the major barriers to snakebite treatment is the delay in getting victims to a health centre with anti-venom. In many cases, patients die on the way due to an inefficient transportation system.In 2004, a group from BPKHS in Dharan, in collaboration with the University of Geneva, tested a Motorcycle Volunteer Program in four villages in the eastern Tarai with a high incidence of snakebites. The pilot project mobilised motorcycle volunteers in all four villages, which had a total population 62,000. They helped transport snakebite victims to a specialised treatment centre in Damak that had anti-venom and staff trained in snakebite management. The motorcycles combined with community health education sharply reduced the mortality rate from snakebite.Before the experiment, there were 502 bites/100,000 population with a case fatality rate of 10.5%. After the intervention, the incidence decreased to 315 bites/100,000 and the fatality rate fell to 0.5%.‘Simple educational messages and promotion of immediate and rapid transport of victims to a treatment centre decreased the mortality rate and incidence of snake bite in southeastern Nepal,’ stated a study published in The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 2013. It recommended that the test be replicated elsewhere. <h2>Snakes and Ladders</h2> <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">As global temperatures go up, so do snakes, insects and plants</a>. Not only are venomous snakes now found at altitudes where they were not present before, experts say even their venom may be getting more poisonous.Kathmandu Valley used to experience snake bites, but they were never fatal. Now, there are cobra sightings on the Valley rim, and even in Langtang National Park. And last year, a patient admitted for snakebite at Sukraraj Hospital in Teku died while undergoing treatment.Poisonous snakes may have come up hitchhiking on cargo trucks carrying logs from the Tarai, but health experts say there is evidence climate change may be allowing venomous snakes, and other tropical wildlife, to move to higher areas of the Himalaya.“Elsewhere we are starting to see the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/climate-damage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">movement of various species with the warming of the earth</a>, so the case of snakes should be no different,” explains Sher Bahadur Pun of Sukraraj Topical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu, which has seen a rise in the number of patients from the Valley and surrounding districts with severe snakebites.Pun adds that more research needs to be done to find the exact correlation between venomous snakes and climate change.In addition, snakebites that were previously poisonous only in the immediate tissue surrounding a bite can now be more venomous or even fatal. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/turning-on-the-heat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A warmer climate</a> appears to affect the physiology of the venom glands and the chemical composition of snakes' secretions.“When people got bitten by snakes in the past, they only developed swelling, but now I see cases where victims are bleeding from bites by the same type of snake,” says Sanjib K Sharma of the Department of Internal Medicine at BPKHS in Dharan. Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17330#.XULEUvIzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Snakebite!</a>, Buddha Basnyat<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-a%20pound-of-prevention,575" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">An ounce of venom</a>, Buddha Basnyat<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=30821&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Snakebite is treatable,</a> Nepali Times <h2>Know Your Snakes</h2> Snakes look similar but their colour, scales, eyes and head shape can be useful in distinguishing dangerous species from harmless ones. Some snakes found in Nepal:Green Snakes (Orthriophis hodgsonii) have a few large scales on the top of the head and round pupils. These snakes are non-venomous and harmless. Cat-eyed Green Snakes (Boiga cyanea) have no pit organ between nostril and eye, which distinguishes them from venomous pit vipers.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a525f9c7e80680e0522eejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="492"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52619c7e80680e0522efjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667">Green Pit Viper (Trimeresurus septentrionalis) are the only venomous species of green snakes in Nepal. They have a pit organ between the eye and the nostril, which is an infrared detector used to find prey in the dark. Bites are painful but not fatal.Russel Viper (Daboia russelii) is one of the most dangerous snakes in Nepal, found in the Tarai only. Its head is covered by numerous small symmetrical, oval scales, it has a long tail and long venom fangs that fold back into its mouth.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52649c7e80680e0522f0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="581"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52669c7e80680e0522f1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="739">Tibet Pit Viper (Trimeresurus tibetanus) can be found in oak and rhododendron forests on Phulchoki, Helambu and in Tibet, up to 3,200m. Bites can be painful, but not dangerous.Himalayan Pit Viper (Gloydius himalayanus) has a few large scales on the top of its head, like some non-venomous viper lookalikes. But it has a pit organ and a dark stripe from eye to mouth. Found at 1,600-3,000m in the mountains, it is active in the daytime hunting rodents. Bites can be painful but not fatal. Has been found in Mustang.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52699c7e80680e0522f2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="605"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a526b9c7e80680e0522f3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="851">Cobra and King Cobra are common and dangerous causes of snake bite envenoming in Nepal. Most bite at dawn, injecting a large quantity of venom that leads to paralysis of the peripheral nervous system, and then death by asphyxia. Raises forebody, displays extended neck skin hood and hisses when disturbed. Found in the Tarai and up to 3,500m.Python (Python molurus) have no venom but kill prey by constriction. They can bite if disturbed. Found mainly in the Tarai and low valleys.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a526e9c7e80680e0522f4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="798"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52709c7e80680e0522f5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="545">Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Greater Black Krait (Bungarus niger), Lesser Black Krait (Bungarus lividus) and Wall’s Krait (Bungarus walli) are the most common and dangerous causes of snake envenoming in Nepal. They differ from all other snakes in having one row of hexagonal scales along the middle of their back from neck to tail, which are much larger than other scales. Active at night, some victims do not know they have been bitten while asleep. Respiratory paralysis can kill even after 12 hours. Found up to 1,450m.Himalayan Krait (Bungarus bungaroides) found at higher altitudes, their bites cause death due to asphyxia. Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) are also highly venomous and found in the Tarai.Cat Snake (Boiga trigonata) look like most Kraits but differ in having laterally compressed bodies, unlike Kraits, which have rounded or triangular cross-sections. Mildly venomous.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52729c7e80680e0522f6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="470"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52759c7e80680e0522f7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="426">Kukri Snake (Oligodon arnensis) differs from Russell Pit Viper in having pupils that are round, large scales on top of the head and no pit organ. Unlike Kraits, it has scales on the back that are all of similar size and shape.Common Wolf Snake (Lycodon aulicus) is a small snake that often enters homes at night to hunt geckos and mice. Unlike more dangerous Kraits, it has scales of the same size all over its body, and is harmless.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52779c7e80680e0522f8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="646"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52799c7e80680e0522f9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="553">Coral Snake (Calliophis beddomei) are rare and found up to 2,200m. If cornered, it responds by flattening its body and lifting and curling its tail. Bites are rare, sometimes fatal.Tawny Cat Snake (Boiga ochracea) are widely distributed in the Tarai and mid-hills. They are often reddish brown and active at night, but unlike Kraits are not venomous.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a527b9c7e80680e0522fajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="518"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a527d9c7e80680e0522fbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="558">Water Snake are common in paddy fields and ponds, but are not venomous. The Striped Keelback (Amphiesma stolatum) is active by day and rarely bite. It has prominent and distinct spots and stripes on the body.Adapted from: Venomous Snakes of Nepal: A Photographic Guide by SK Sharma, DP Pandey, KB Shah, F Tillack, F Chappius, CL Thapa, E Alirol and U KuchBP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, 2013 ISBN number : 978-9937-2-6003-9<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52809c7e80680e0522fcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="1037"> <img width="2500" height="1890" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52829c7e80680e0522fdjpeg.jpg" alt="">IF A SNAKE BITESReassure victims, lay them down sidewaysIdentify snake if possibleImmobilise bitten limb with splintDo not cut, use tourniquets, ice on wound Wash wound with soapTransport victim quickly to a health centre with anti-venomSymptomsEnvenoming due to cobra and krait bites lead to neuromuscular paralysis with the following effects: Inability to open the eyes on looking upInability to open the mouthInability to protrude the tongue from the mouthInability to swallowParalysis of the muscles of the hands and feetDifficulty breathing

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<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131156/636a52509c7e80680e0522e9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="787"/><figcaption>Pic: DIANA BARR</figcaption></figure>David Williams grew up in rural Australia among all kinds of creepy crawlies. He kept lizards and snakes as pets, even venomous ones. He has been bitten six times, but that has not put him off research into finding a cheaper and more effective anti-venom to treat bites.Williams now heads the Global Snakebite Initiative and has been helping in <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17330#.XULEUvIzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">snakebite</a> management in Cambodia and Papua New Guinea. He is in Kathmandu for the first international conference on snakebite in Nepal this weekend, and spoke to Nepali Times.Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=30833&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HISS</a>, Sonia AwaleNepali Times: Why hold a snakebite conference in Kathmandu?   David Williams: One of the main reasons the conference is being held here is that Nepal has got a lot of expertise, doctors who are very interested in research and want to fix the problem and initiatives like the motorcycle volunteers. There are many diseases that have no cure or treatment, but snakebite is something that is eminently treatable, nobody should have to die from it. So with a reasonably modest amount of investment by health ministries and supporting organisations, we can solve the problem of snakebite. Nepal has all the elements necessary to tackle its snakebite epidemic, and save lives.What are the main challenges?There is a solution to <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-a%20pound-of-prevention,575" target="_blank" rel="noopener">snakebite problems</a>, but it is largely a matter of investment. Production of anti-venom requires putting the money into establishing manufacturing facilities, having a proper quality control and a regulatory agency that is able to provide oversight of manufacturing. The same goes for collecting venom. So it is a matter of commitment, and spending the money to do it in the right way. The things that hospitals need to have in order to effectively treat snakebite patients are often the same types of medical consumables that are needed for a lot of other diseases. So if you have a strong health care system that is functioning well with the right drugs and treatment, then we are likely to achieve better outcomes.But are these <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/tips-for-surviving-snakebites,1471" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interventions</a> possible in Nepal? It is a lot easier and cheaper to prevent snakebite than to deal with consequences, so community education and awareness for behavioural change is probably the most important aspect. Another is having sufficient stock of effective anti-venoms. Countries have to ensure that reliable supply, and one way to go about is to ask for World Health Organization (WHO) assistance. The good thing is that there has been some strong research in this area with which Nepal should be able to take an initiative to be able to make anti-venom within the country and not rely so much on India. It is especially important to have addition supply of anti-venom this time of the year, when snakebite becomes an epidemic.The WHO wants to halve snakebite deaths by 2030. Is this realistic? It is fairly easy to achieve and there is good evidence to back this up. In Ghana it was found that if you introduce effective treatment, train nurses and doctors who deliver the treatment, and educate the community to come to the hospital sooner, fatalities can be reduced by as much as 80% in a very short period. It took Ghana only 18 months. So I think having 12 years from now to <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19557#.XULEV_IzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut the fatality</a> and disability by 50% is quite a reasonable target. At core it is about effective treatment, health workers who know how to give treatment and communities that prioritise getting that treatment.Is climate change pushing venomous snakes up the mountains? If the world keeps warming, yes. As the weather warms up here in Nepal with climate change, you will start finding venomous snakes in areas where they were never found before because it was too cold. Another aspect that can contribute is changes in the habitat. For example, with deforestation you create open habitats that a lot of venomous snakes, such as the cobras and the Russell vipers, actually find more conducive to their lifestyle.Read also:<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17330#.XULEUvIzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Snakebite!</a>, Buddha Basnyat<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-a%20pound-of-prevention,575" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An ounce of venom</a>, Buddha Basnyat<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/tips-for-surviving-snakebites,1471" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Snakebite Survival,</a> Buddha Basnyat

“Snakebite is treatable,  no one need die from it.”

Climber, expedition leader and later a supplier of bottled oxygen to Himalayan mountaineers, Henry Barclay Todd died on 3 November 2025 in his favourite place on earth, Kathmandu.&nbsp;
Todd was larger than life, a metaphor often used, yet it could not be more fitting. Standing nearly 2m tall, and possessing an unshakeable will, he lived life on a grand scale, both in body and spirit.&nbsp;
Todd was a pillar in the Himalayan climbing community, supporting many mountaineers across Nepal and Pakistan, making it possible for them to fulfil the dream of standing on the world’s highest peaks. He believed deeply in the strength, skill, and potential of the Sherpa people, and offered them opportunities that might otherwise have remained out of reach.&nbsp;
“Thank you, Henry. Your trust changed my life. Rest in peace, my leader, my teacher, my friend,” said Dorjee Gyelzen Sherpa in his tribute.
Born in 1945 to Royal Air Force officer Henry Todd and May Todd of the Women’s Royal Air Force, Henry spent his early years in Singapore. He led a lively childhood with his two brothers, far removed from the mountains that would later define his path.&nbsp;
A gifted swimmer like his father, Henry never pursued the sport professionally. Instead, after returning to Dundee as a teenager and attending seven different schools, he set off for London, where he began working for an insurance company before finding his true calling in adventure.
Henry Todd first came to Nepal in the mid-1980s and made his first attempt on Ama Dablam in 1987, an expedition that marked the beginning of an extraordinary and colourful climbing career. <a href="https://www.himalayandatabase.com/" target="_blank">The Himalayan Database</a> lists 61 expeditions that he led in Nepal alone — there were more in the Karakoram, Argentina and the Alps.&nbsp;
But Todd would joyfully say that a few hard Scottish ascents held a more personal meaning to him than even the greatest Himalayan summits.
Over the decades, he crossed paths with many legendary climbers like Anatoli Boukreev, Jerzy Kukuczka, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington as well as celebrities including members of Pink Floyd and Nobel Prize laureates whom he befriended.&nbsp;
He had a gift to never name-drop, but would simply mention that he had had lunch with Minnie Driver (niece of his long-time friend Andra) or that he had bought his first car from Donald Sutherland. For Todd, these were not bragging rights, they were simply part of the colourful tapestry of his life.
Todd’s life was filled with extraordinary experiences from surviving plane crashes, avalanches and earthquakes to quietly solving countless problems, which was one of his favourite past-times. His hands, famously large and steady, were always ready to help whether in the chaos of the mountains or the calm of a base camp.&nbsp;
With his sharp sense of humour and the beloved exclamation “Whoopie!”,he could bring lightness even to the toughest moments. He never tired of taking on challenges or helping when someone was in need, and he enriched so many people’s lives with his endless stories.
His legacy is immense. He helped build the human backbone of Himalayan climbing, enabling generations of climbers to test themselves in the world’s highest places. With his passing, an era of bold, spirited Himalayan guiding has come to a close.
Todd survived by a loving family, many close friends and a global community of climbers and Sherpas who will never forget him and his endless tales.&nbsp;
His family said in a statement: ‘Henry’s strength, warmth and unyielding belief in others will live on far above the clouds. He was indestructible in our eyes and in our hearts, he always will be.’
There will be a memorial service at Pashupati Temple in Kathmandu on 8 November 2025 around lunchtime.

Henry Barclay Todd, 80

The autumn mountaineering season is not over yet, and already there have been 12 fatalities on Himalayan peaks in Nepal.
Of the 1,450 climbing permits issued, 436 were for Mt Ama Dablam (6,812m), 374 for Mt Manaslu (8,163m) and 186 for Himlung Himal (7,126m). There were deaths on all three mountains.
The death of two French climbers on Ama Dablam happened before unseasonal blizzards hit the mountains. But Cyclone Montha from the Bay of Bengal brought on high winds and up to 1m of snow in the peak trekking and mountaineering season.
This increased avalanche conditions, and made helicopter evacuation of stranded and injured climbers difficult. Lower down the mountains, more than 1,000 trekkers from Nepal and around the world were stuck in the Annapurnas, Manaslu circuit and the Khumbu.
However, there have also been allegations that it was not just the weather that delayed rescues. Multiple levels of bureaucracy and the need for flight permits to restricted areas like Manang and Manaslu critically delayed evacuation flights.
Italian climbers Farronato Stefano and Caputo Alessandro were found dead in their tent at Panbari Himal Camp I (6,887m) in the Manaslu area. They had been trapped by heavy snowfall since 28 October, and their bodies were found on 4 November by a team from the expedition organisers, Sherpa Alpine Trekking Service. The team was made up of high level mountain guides and expedition leader Valter Perlino.
The team had been climbing to Camp 3 but decided to descend to base camp because of thrombosis in Perlino’s left foot. The two climbers who would eventually get trapped decided to break at Camp I, a decision that would prove fatal after the projected six-day snowfall arrived two days early.
“They were sleeping in a tent and were buried under 2.5 metres of compacted snow. It happened during the night between Thursday and Friday. While they were sleeping, absurd,” said Perlino.
A deadly incident took place the morning of 3 November, when five foreigners and two Nepalis died in an avalanche on Yalung Ri at 5,630m in the Rolwaling. They were part of a larger group of 15 that were acclimatising for an attempt on the nearby Dolma Khang (6,332m).
Local authorities in Gauri Shankar Conservation Area say calls were immediately made to helicopter companies as well as various ministries in Kathmandu that have to issue permits to fly to the region bordering China.
But the permits for rescue flights to Rolwaling Valley were delayed by eight hours. Rescue flights in these areas require permission from the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Defence, the Home Ministry, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
Experts say this should be exempted in times of emergency when time is of the essence. CAAN spokesperson Pratap Babu Tiwari claimed to not know of the avalanche on Yalung Ri and deflected questions to the permission department.&nbsp;
There was a similar tragedy on Himlung Himal in Manang as well. Australian Chin-Tark Chan, 49, was climbing with 8K Expeditions and fell ill on 27 October at about 6,800m, developing snow blindness and loss of mobility. The guides immediately called the US insurance company Global Rescue for authorisation of a longline rescue.
Global Rescue refused, saying a rescue at that height would violate Nepal’s aviation rules and put the pilot at unacceptable risk. They asked the guides to transport Chan to Camp 3 at 6,400m to a permitted altitude. Seeing it was a life-or-death situation for its client, 8K called in an aerial rescue anyway, but the helicopter could not land due to bad weather. Chan died slightly below Camp 3 on 29 October.
Global Rescue said in a statement that it was ready to send in a helicopter after Chan had been transported to Camp 3, but several hours were lost for that attempt, and the weather did not get better in the next few days.
To underscore just how dangerous helicopter rescues in the Himalaya can be in bad weather, a chopper from Altitude Air skidded off the helipad at Lobuche below Mt Everest while trying to rescue trekkers in whiteout conditions.&nbsp;
CAAN announced a ban on flights during blizzards or dense fog. While rescue missions are often heroic and courageous, they should not be foolhardy if conditions are unsafe and the risk to pilots and rescuers too high. This autumn was a lesson for future expeditions and for the Nepal government.&nbsp;
The Italian duo on Panbari were caught out by snow that arrived two days ahead of schedule, but the group on Yalung Ri should have postponed their ascent after multiple warnings from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology to avoid high altitudes.

Deadly autumn in Himalayan climbing

This is the 73rd episode of Diaspora Diaries, a Nepali Times series in collaboration with Migration Lab providing a platform to share experiences of living, working and studying abroad. I don’t remember playing with dolls as a little girl. There is not much to remember from my childhood.&nbsp; My responsibilities began at a very young age, as I had two younger brothers to take care of. I was born in Sarlahi, but we moved around quite a bit as my father was in the government and got transferred frequently.&nbsp; From Rasuwa to Dang, from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu. I struggled to adjust in Kathmandu because I joined Grade 9 in the middle of the term. The education was different and fellow students also did not support me initially. But over time, I adjusted and made friends. I did not dream of becoming a nurse. It was by accident. I wanted to pursue medicine, but failed the entrance exam by a few marks. I did not want to lose a year, so decided to take up microbiology instead.&nbsp; I got married after my undergraduate, and my husband encouraged me to take up something more technical like nursing or engineering instead of Masters in Microbiology. As my quantitative background was weak, I chose nursing. I felt like I was born to be a nurse. Juggling my married life and studies was difficult. My teachers would often ask me why I am falling behind. It was not easy, but I managed and took up a full-time job as a nurse. There are challenges being a nurse in Nepal. You are overworked, underpaid, there is lack of appreciation. Superiors can be overbearing. These problems persist. But the bright spot is that you get to serve fellow Nepalis, and be close to your family.&nbsp; Just like I had no intention initially of becoming a nurse, I had no intention of migrating overseas. But life had different plans for me. After my baby boy was born, I noticed that something was off. Even at nine months he had not started crawling or sitting. As a nurse I knew something was wrong, and I took him for check-ups. He tested negative for down syndrome, but he had a heart defect.&nbsp; The cardiologist recommended that I take him to India where he was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects 1 in 10,000 people. It delayed his development. I looked for therapy. It was either not effective, or too expensive. Some schools also refused to admit him, and it drove me to tears.&nbsp; My family members overseas in the UK, US told me to emigrate as there were better facilities for differently abled children. So I decided to apply to the UK. Luckily just then there were calls for candidates under the Nepal-UK government-to-government pilot scheme for 100 nurses. Only 40 met the criteria, and I was one of them.&nbsp; I still remember the day I received the news on the day of my puja. There were people around me, and they told me that it was the result of my fasting and devotion on that auspicious day. Perhaps it was. Life was taking a new turn, and I was happy. I made it to the UK in February 2024 without paying a single paisa to any broker. The G2G scheme was unique as we were treated with dignity and valued for our skills: they covered costs for the ticket and visa, reimbursed us for exams we had taken and costs involved in the preparation and testing of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination were also covered.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251106071148_dc5a0d0ea3024b34a4f2735754f8eb67a650bc7f61b98c75d589676c65b02a0c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20251106071148_dc5a0d0ea3024b34a4f2735754f8eb67a650bc7f61b98c75d589676c65b02a0c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Nurses NT"> </figure>  It was of course difficult to leave my son behind. But I was doing it for his future. I had the option of taking him from the start, but it was a new place and I wanted to be well-settled and knowledgeable about the options available for him before bringing him along. As I packed, he would ask me to take him with me in my suitcase. It did not seem like he was affected by my departure, and it was only later that his teachers said that he would express his feelings more openly at school. He just did not know how to tell me he missed me, and he would tell teachers he was worried I had forgotten him if we did not speak for a day.&nbsp; He missed me, and that realisation made me emotional. But I had to carry on. Life in the UK was difficult in the beginning. Even so, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. Fortunately I had cooperative staff who patiently answered my questions. I think I would have been irritated if I were in their place. But they did not seem to mind, and their support and guidance made it easy for me to adjust to the new work environment. APPRECIATION I still struggle to understand the accent of my English patients, and have ask the matron for help. They compliment me on my English, but I can speak better than I understand. The good thing about working in the UK is that you are appreciated for your work, which can be motivating. Sometimes, after a long day’s work you get a message from your supervisor acknowledging your work with a thank you. That’s enough to erase your tiredness.&nbsp; So far I have received 32 WOW nominations which are acknowledgements from patients for a job well done. It can be motivating, especially in the beginning. The main difference between the Alpana who first left Kathmandu for the UK and the Alpana now is that I am a much more confident person. What makes a good nurse? Skills, knowledge and qualifications are of course a given. But mostly, you need humanity. A smiling face. The way you communicate. Your empathy. These attributes can already solve many problems that patients are facing. This is my second time back home in the last 20 months. And this time, I have arranged for my son’s visa. I will go back after Tihar with my son and husband.&nbsp; I am happy, but also a little nervous about what awaits us. What kind of school will I put him in? Will it really be different from schools here? Will his needs be addressed? Will it be like here, or will he be able to adjust?&nbsp; But I am determined to make it work. Success for me would be if he adjusted well and there is a change in his condition. He still cannot recognise alphabets and read words like kids in his age group. Hopefully he will get learning support in the UK. He also has a knack for music, and this is common among individuals with Williams Syndrome. His ears perk up when he hears music, and he takes part in musical events at school. He still does not recognise letters &nbsp;but he uses voice commands to search for guitar videos on YouTube. I will enrol him in music classes, and help him develop this gift. For now, I worry how he will behave on his long flight. He has a short attention span and gets restless. He is also very social and will want to speak with everyone around him, and might irritate fellow passengers.&nbsp; I have already started trying to make him understand that he will need to behave on the flight. He nods in agreement. Let’s see how it goes. &nbsp;

“I felt like I was born to be a nurse”

A month after September’s GenZ movement in Nepal, nurses working in private hospitals took to the streets demanding better work conditions, and salaries equal to what government nurses are paid.&nbsp;
The strike started at Pokhara’s Manipal Teaching Hospital before spreading nationwide, and nurses working at government hospitals joined in.&nbsp;
Nurses at private hospitals are forced to work for far less than Nepal’s minimum monthly wage of Rs19,550 — without overtime, breaks, and other benefits and under physically and mentally taxing conditions. This is driving many qualified nurses to emigrate.
For newly-appointed Health Minister Sudha Sharma Gautam in the interim government, the strike became her first order of business. She met representatives of the Nursing Association of Nepal (NAN), the protesting nurses, and others from the health sector.&nbsp;
An agreement was reached under which private hospitals and medical colleges will pay nurses a minimum monthly salary of Rs34,730. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
“It is a shame that nurses have been working under such exploitative conditions all this time” says Radha Adhikari, at the School of Health and Life Sciences of the University of the West of Scotland. “The agreement is basic, and there is a long way to go to improve their working conditions. But it is a start.”
NAN chair Chandrakala Sharma has said the ministry’s task force to look into working conditions will also look into facilities for nurses in government hospitals.&nbsp;
“We are committed to solidifying the wage agreement by amending relevant laws within this month,” Sharma said in a video posted by NAN on Facebook. “Our movement is not over, we are still protesting and &nbsp;following up with the Ministry.”
NAN issued an ultimatum to the government to implement the agreements within 48 hours. That deadline has now lapsed and the nurses are back on strike. Many of those protesting now accuse NAN of betraying them.
Jyoti Ranabhat of the Nurses Struggle Committee was present in the meeting, but refused to sign the agreement. “It did not address what we were demanding, we will now go it alone into Plan B,” she tells Nepali Times.&nbsp;
Previous grievances of the nurses did result in similar agreements, but private hospitals failed to comply with government’s past directives — most recently the minimum salary and benefit determined by the state in December 2024.&nbsp;
The Nepal Nursing Council says there are 126,580 registered nurses, specialists, midwives, and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) professionals in Nepal. Yet, nursing positions at hospitals remain vacant.&nbsp;
The reason for understaffing is a mass emigration of medical professionals, including nurses. Nursing student enrollment is also declining and there is disinterest in a profession that does not afford health workers quality of life, respect, or dignity.
“Our fight is not with the private sector, it is by definition profit-oriented, our grievance is with the state,” says Ranabhat. “The government is responsible to provide us dignity, respect, and fair pay.”&nbsp;
GREENER PASTURES
Poor pay and working conditions are driving doctors and nurses abroad in large numbers in recent years. Many have simply quit the profession, leading to a shortfall in medical professionals. 

The shortage of nurses is a global phenomenon, and countries like the US, UK and Australia have compensated for their own shortage by offering jobs from countries like the Philippines, India and Nepal.&nbsp;
Nepal Nursing Council data shows that outmigration of nurses rose sharply after 2002, and an estimated &nbsp;20,000-45,000 nurses have left since.
“The state’s denial, derision, and disregard of nurses has caused resentment and disillusionment in the community, driving nurses out,” says Ranabhat. “Ultimately, Nepalis will pay the price when there are no nurses left here.”
Many Nepali nurses who have gone abroad are happy with the respect and quality of life in their jobs abroad. But many others face exploitative recruiters in Nepal and employers abroad. Nursing consultancies have mushroomed as nursing colleges struggle to meet demand.&nbsp;
Adhikari herself worked at United Mission Hospital Tansen before moving to the UK 30 years ago, and remembers that working conditions then were much better for nurses.&nbsp;
“Nepal’s health sector has gone downhill since privatisation,” she states. “Medical colleges are only concerned with supplying doctors and nurses internationally, because that is what makes money.”
But once Nepal’s nurses are abroad, there is no guarantee that they will have jobs in the nursing sector. Many find themselves working outside their field of expertise, in hospitality or sales.&nbsp;
“Nepal has become a production hub for nurses, and Nepali nurses have become products for export,” adds Ranabhat. &nbsp;“People might think this will add to remittances, but no one is thinking about what will happen to Nepal’s health sector.”&nbsp;
For many, nursing has become a way out of Nepal rather than a vocation. In 2022, the government signed an agreement with the UK to send Nepali nurses to work there at zero cost, with benefits and protection equal to UK nurses.&nbsp;
The pilot phase was expected to recruit 100 nurses, and applications opened in July 2023, with 45 nurses said to be selected by Britain’s NHF representatives by the end of 2023. Forty-one of them obtained labour permits.&nbsp;
They may be treated well, but the reality of working in the international health sector is not as straightforward.
Radha Adhikari told us from Scotland: “Market saturation, exploitation, discrimination based on race, gender, and foreignness prevent nurses from finding the right, respectful jobs even here. Ultimately, migration cannot be sustainable for Nepal’s nurses.”

venomous

HISSS

“Snakebite is treatable, no one need die from it.”

Henry Barclay Todd, 80

Deadly autumn in Himalayan climbing

“I felt like I was born to be a nurse”

Nepal haemorrhaging nurses