Online Khabar

Kathmandu, November 25. Amid mounting pressure, United Democratic Madheshi Front decided to let medical supplies enter Nepal through Biratnagar.

However, as of Wednesday afternoon, not even one medical consignment has entered Nepal through the Rani customs in Biratnagar. Traders say the environment is not conducive for bringing in medical supplies, despite the UDMF pledge to let the supplies enter Nepal.

The situation on the ground attests to these traders’ claims.

A day after the UDMF announcement, protesters doused a truck numbered Na 2 Kha 8292, laden with medical supplies, in petrol and set it afire. In Biratnagar, protesters vandalised ambulances with patients on board in the days following the announcement.

Mrigendra Meher Shrestha, chair, Nepal Chemists and Druggists Association, said: With not even ambulances plying due to insecurity, it has become pretty clear that it’s unsafe to bring medicines via Biratnagar.

Four rerouted medicine carriers have remained stuck just across the border close to Biratnagar, according to Shrestha.

“Even ambulances have not been spared? How can we believe that trucks carrying drugs will be spared,” Shrestha said, talking to Online Khabar.

“Making decisions is not enough, there’s a need to create a conducive environment. The protesters themselves are not cooperating in efforts aimed at bringing drugs via Jogbani,” he said.

The Jogbani customs in India has barred trucks loaded with drugs from entering Nepal. Medical traders have been facing problems because of delays on the part of Indian customs officials in issuing customs clearance.

However, Manish Suman, general secretary of Sadbhavana Party, a UDMF constituent, says the UDMF is ready to implement the decision to provide safe passage for medical consignments.

He said: We have not been keeping medical consignments on hold in Biratnagar. We have been calling for movement of these supplies in the daytime, he said, pointing at the possible use of vigilantes. Suman called traders concerned to forge coordination with UDMF for movement of medical consignments.

While Kathmandu and other parts of the country continue to suffer from an acute shortage of drugs, around 350 trucks carrying drugs remain stuck on Indian territories.

Most of the drug cargos have been unloaded at Raxaul transport godown.

The day UDMF pledged to let medical supplies pass through Biratnagar customs, India also pledged to help with rerouting of medical cargos.

But reloading medicines stuck at Raxaul and bringing them to Jogbani is easier said than done.

According to medical traders, the last week saw arrival of just eight rerouted trucks loaded with drugs to Nepal via Bhairahawa.

India has been cooperating with rerouting, but not with customs clearance.

Shrestha said: We need to search for trucks to ferry unloaded drugs across the border. Finding trucks is pretty hard these days, given the fuel crisis. On top of that, imagine how difficult it will reroute vehicles on roads that have traffic jams on a road stretch spanning 20 kilometres. He asked UDMF to let medical cargos pass through Birgunj, as it is a matter of life and death for people.

“In normal times, 90 per cent of drugs enter Nepal via Birgunj. Most of the medicines are in godowns. It will be very difficult to take these consignments out and transport them to Nepal through rerouting,” Shrestha said.

We can save lives only if the concerned party decides to let drugs pass through Birgunj customs, he said.