Sample collection for rapid test going on Kailali, Kanchanpur

-Sher Bahadur Singh

A technical team that arrived here from Kathmandu for ‘rapid test’ in a bid to control coronavirus has collected swab sample of 70 persons quarantined at the local Baijanath School.

The federal government deputed the six-member team in view of the State at high risk of infection. The Sudurpaschim regional health directorate shared that the technicians are split into two groups and collecting swab and blood from Kanchapur and Kailali districts. Lab technician at the regional directorate, Narayan Dhungana, is leading the team for sample collection in Kanchanpur. The team has three health workers from Kathmandu.

The team collected the swab from 21 persons quarantined at Nepal Army barrack at Godawari municipality of Kailali on Tuesday morning. The team is also assigned to collect swab from Godawari municipality of Kailali. "The swab collected from barrack will be sent to Kathmandu. So, we arrived at Mahendranagar," Dhungana shared with the National News Agency (RSS), adding that circular was made from the high level to take sample from 70 persons at Baijanath School. As it takes time to collect swab, the health workers are doing it cautiously, he said.

There are both Nepali and Indians quarantined at Baijanath School. Their security is managed by the Armed Police Force. There are a total of 170- including six women at nine quarantine centres of Kanchanpur. After sending the samples, they will be tested on rapid diagnostic kit with PCR machine.

Similarly, contact person in Kailali, Jaysingh Bhandari shared that the team has collected swab from 45 persons from Lakmi. The persons were stationed at Lamkichuha municipality. Lab technician at Tikapur Hospital, Min Bahadur Kunwar, is leading the team which is collecting sample at Lamki. There are a total of 39 quarantine centres in Kailali accommodating 451 persons including 71 women.

NA collecting swab of suspected ones

Meanwhile, Nepal Army (NA) is involved in collecting the swab samples for lab test of the people suspected of carrying the coronavirus in various parts in the district.

According to focal person Devdatta Joshi, the NA collected swab of 51 persons who were in home quarantine at Bailpata in the district.

They are preparing to collect the swab at Mangalsen and will begin in Kamalbazaar soon. The COVID-19 control bodies have established quarantine in different 10 places in the district.

According to Joshi, eight women, 12 children and 36 males are kept in these quarantines.

Similarly, the four persons who tested COVID-19 positive are undergoing treatment at Dhangadhi-based Seti State Hospital and their health condition is normal.

RSS Achham correspondent Hom Saud shared that newly entrants to Achham from India is yet to be confirmed. He added that 990 persons have reportedly entered into Mangalsen alone from India and other countries recently. But most of them are not staying in quarantine.

It was shared that swab samples of 230 have been collected in Sudurpashchim State till today. Of them, report of 171is received and only four are found positive while report of 59 is yet to be revealed.