SALYAN, Oct 20: The Rautes have refused to get their children administered with Vitamin A capsules and polio drops, saying the use of modern medicine would bring them a curse.
“We do not need your medicine. Using your medicine will bring us a curse,” chief of the Raute community Min Bahadur Shahi told the health workers, who had reached Salyan district to administer vitamin A capsules and polio drops to children under the age of five in the Raute community on Thursday. [break]
Health workers had to return without administering vitamin A capsules and polio drops to children in the Raute settlement.
Dr Sushil Koirala of the International Nepal Fellowship (INF) had procured vitamin A capsules and polio drops with the money he received as Dashain allowance from his office. However, Dr Koirala failed to convince the Rautes. The Rautes even refused to accept two mountain goats he had brought as a Dashain gift for them.
“Girija Koirala and King Birendra would not have died if your medicine really saves lives,” said Shahi. “We can prepare our own medicines. Your medicine will not save us if we die now.”