Koshi Province Health Minister Visits Khotang After Mass Illness Following Wedding Feast

Khotang. A team of experts, including Koshi Province Health Minister Man Bahadur Limbu, arrived in Dipleung, Ward-6 of Janthedhunga Rural Municipality in Khotang on Monday to assess the situation after the groom, bride, and all attendees of a wedding feast fell ill. The team arrived at the site in Dipleung after initial symptoms—fever, shivering, and diarrhea—persisted for 12 hours after consuming the wedding meal.

Kuldip Paudel, Chief of the Health Office Khotang, stated that although arrangements were made for treatment by organizing a health camp at the home of Ramkumar Rai in Nigalawas, Dipleung, the provincial government's Ministry of Health team from Biratnagar was called in due to the overwhelming number of patients.

"A team including the Honorable Minister Man Bahadur Limbu from the Ministry inspected the condition of the patients being treated at the camp and the primary health center. The Minister, who came for the inspection, committed to providing all necessary facilities for the camp," he said. "Two separate expert teams from the province, led by Dr. Ramhari Regmi and Dr. Santosh Rai, along with medicines and equipment, will stay in Dipleung for a few days to provide treatment. Hopefully, the problem will be resolved in a few days."

Health workers involved in the treatment suspect that the local residents who fell ill after consuming the wedding feast suffered from 'food poisoning'. Tension arose after local residents who ate the feast organized in Dipleung on Magh 21 started falling ill from the evening of the following day, Magh 22.

The Rural Municipality's health branch Rapid Response Team (RRT), the Health Office Khotang, and a team of elected representatives have been deployed to treat the locals who fell ill due to the wedding feast. Binay Niroula, the information officer for the rural municipality, informed that the process of patients coming and going for treatment at the camp is ongoing.

Rural Municipality Chief Arunadevi Rai 'Diksha' informed that guests from Udayapur, Dharan, Kathmandu, and other places who returned home after eating the wedding feast also reported falling ill. "We are currently admitting and treating 60 patients at the camp organized by the rural municipality. It is estimated that more than 350 people consumed the feast at the wedding," she said. "Most of the guests who ate the wedding feast have been found to be ill. We are bringing all of them to the camp for treatment. Health workers have stated that it will take a few more days for them to fully recover."

According to the rural municipality office, patients who were discharged after treatment at the camp are returning for further treatment as their problems recur. Health workers involved in the treatment stated that most of those returning for treatment continue to suffer from persistent stomach pain and diarrhea.

Due to the increasing number of patients at the health camp established on Magh 23, arrangements have also been made for treatment at the Chhisa Pani Primary Health Center, informed Deputy Chief of the Rural Municipality, Khem Bahadur Khadka. "We are currently admitting and treating six patients on beds at the primary health center. Their health is gradually improving," he said. "An expert team has arrived from the Koshi Province Ministry of Health. It is expected that the problem will be resolved after they test and start treatment."

Tension has arisen in Janthedhunga Rural Municipality after all guests participating in the wedding feast fell ill. With all local manpower mobilized following the illness of all wedding feast participants due to an unidentified problem, the entire district's resources have been engaged.