NHRC urges govt to pay heed to children’s health

KATHMANDU – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to pay heed to children’s right to health and ensure alternative arrangement to their education.

Issuing a press release today, NHRC Spokesperson Dr Tikaram Pokhrel said the children should be provided education by ensuring safety to them in the wake of growing threat of Covid-19. The NHRC directed the Ministry of Health and Population, and Ministry of Education not to issue contradictory notice in terms of the operation of schools.

‘The guardians and students must not be instilled with psychological fear. NHRC urges all concerned including Nepal government and ministries to be serious on dissemination of sensitive health issues. The sensitive information can be disseminated only after taking consultation and suggestions from Health Ministry,’

Pokhrel stated in the press release. The human rights watch institution has recently conducted a monitoring of schools in the Kathmandu Valley to know about the situation of coronavirus infection. The monitoring found that the government schools were more susceptible to coronavirus than the private schools.

The enforcement of safety measures was also weak, and the students suffering headache were together with normal students, the press release showed concern. The NHRC has been informed via various media that more than 300 children were infected with coronavirus in the last two weeks.

Although the Health Ministry has urged everyone for avoiding crowds in schools of 14 districts including the Kathmandu Valley, the schools were still running. The government has been further reminded of children’s rights provided by Article 39 of Constitution of Nepal and other international conventions the Nepal is party to.