The Ministry of Health and Population has decided to set up a health desk at an international land crossing in Susta Rural Municipality of Lumbini Province.

The move aims at lessening the risk of the spread of deadly diseases from India, officials said.

“We have decided to set up an international health desk at Susta, keeping in mind the movement of people via the border point,” said Dr Hemanta Ojha, an official at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. “It is among the measures we have taken to lessen the risk of diseases spreading in the country.”

Of late, Nepal has been facing various public health emergencies, such as outbreaks of viral diseases—dengue and Covid-19—and bacterial infections such as scrub typhus, cholera, and diarrhoea.

Thousands of people enter the country daily through India-Nepal border points and numerous other porous crossing points.

Doctors in Nepal believe the lack of proper screening at border points and mechanisms to track the suspects are among the reasons for the spread of the diseases in the country.

Officials said that the flow of people from both India and Nepal travelling to each other's countries has risen significantly in recent times.

“There is also a religious place [Triveni Dham] at Susta,” said Ojha. “Hundreds of people enter the country to visit religious places every day.”

The government has taken the step ahead of a major annual religious festival at Triveni Dham.

Hundreds of people visit Triveni Dham every month to take part in religious festivals. Besides that, thousands of people from India attend the ritual of Maghe Aunshi, which falls on February 9 this year. “A majority of those taking part in the ritual come from India,” Tek Narayan Upadhyay, chairman of the municipality, told the Post.

Of 21 Tarai districts adjoining India, there are only 14 health desks in operation. Officials said the number of such desks at international land crossings between India and Nepal will reach 15 once the one at Susta becomes operational.

Two health desks set up at China-Nepal border points are also in operation.

Doctors say any disease that emerges in any part of the globe can enter the country, and stepping up surveillance measures, including the screening of suspects, is the way to mitigate the risks. Nepal has been struggling to contain malaria due to high imported cases.

Experts say the country is at risk of outbreaks of many other diseases, including Ebola, Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome, Yellow Fever, Nipah virus, Zika virus and others seen in any part of the globe.

“Strengthening and extending international health desks is our responsibility and international commitment,” said Dr Ojha. “The issue of outbreaks and spread of diseases is not only linked with health but also the safety and the country’s economy.”

Officials at the ministry said that the health desk being planned at Susta will be temporary—until permanent structures are set up.