Friday, December 2, 2011

CIAA seeks clarifications from officials over #birdflu

CIAA seeks clarifications from officials over bird flu

KATHMANDU, Dec 2: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Friday sought clarifications from Health Secretary Sudha Sharma, Agriculture Secretary Nathu Prasad Chaudhary and other senior health and agriculture officials over their failure and negligence in preventing the bird flu outbreak.

Secretaries Sharma and Chaudhary and other officials from the Health Department and Agriculture Ministry had reached the CIAA to furnish their clarifications.

The CIAA had summoned them after receiving complaints that they were not found to be serious enough in following up on the sample test report on time, were not informing high ranking government officials of the matter, and not initiating any measures even after the sample test confirmed a bird flu outbreak in Bhaktapur.
"Why did you not follow up matters with officials concerned in the United Kingdom after sending samples for test? Why didn´t you make those residing near the flu affected areas aware about the consequences?" the source quoted CIAA officials as asking the secretaries, adding, "This all shows serious lapses on your part."

The secretaries and other officials, however, defended themselves, saying that they tried their best to control the flu.

Following confirmation of the bird flu outbreak, around 1,300 chickens and 200 ducks at Manohara landless squatters´ settlement were destroyed Tuesday.

A team of doctors from the Department of Health, Directorate of Animal Health, Avian Influenza and Animal Rapid Response Division had destroyed the ducks and chickens, burying them after poisoning them to death.

The CIAA has also asked officials to ensure that the buried chickens and ducks are not unearthed.

Five chickens belonging to local Chandra Bahadur Tamang had died on November 10 and 30 on November 11. Bird flu was suspected and samples from the dead fowl were sent to London for lab test.

No comments: