‘Nepal should base all decisions on science, establish cross-border cooperation to fight Covid-19 second wave’

As Nepal is battling hard against the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, stakeholders look anxious over the ill management of the resources available in the country. Many groups have resorted to blaming the government for its failure to protect the citizens whereas there are a lot who see the public themselves responsible for the crisis. A handful of stakeholders have begun demanding that the government request the international community to intervene as it has been unable to manage the crisis.

Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav , the chief of the World Health Organization’s Nepal office, however, says the country still has a lot of strengths and opportunities to fight back. In this email interview with Onlinekhabar, Pandav has effectively maintained his diplomatic etiquette in saving himself from criticising the government. Yet, he has subtly suggested some important points that Nepal should follow immediately to control the pandemic, such as making scientifically valid decisions every time and cross-border cooperation (with India).