(Sher Bahadur Singh and Narendra Singh Karki)
A total of 1,408 persons have been kept in quarantines set up in all nine districts of Sudurpaschim State, which is taken as vulnerable State in terms of coronavirus spread.
The State has 301 quarantines capacious to accommodate some 5,042, according to the regional health directorate. The directorate informed that the swab was collected from 259 persons who are in different quarantines till Tuesday evening. Among the tested so far, four were already announced positive while 170 negative to COVID-19. Similarly, result of 85 cases is awaited.
Director at the directorate Dr Gunaraj Awasthi informed that management would be smooth here within a week to control the virus. "Swabs collected from 194 persons are being sent to Kathmandu for test. At Seti State Hospital, only 10 cases are tested daily," According to him, RTPCR machine has been brought here from Kathmandu by sky truck. The RTPCR can test 96 to 100 swabs a day.
"Once this machine is brought to operation, the test gains speed," he said, adding that coronavirus can be tested on those who have stayed in quarantine for at least 10 days.
He also said necessary safety gears are being collected. Homework is on to buy five machines for testing COVID-19, Awasthi added.
There are currently five persons at isolation ward in Kailali hospital, three in Dadeldhura hospital, and ten each in Bajura and Doti hospitals.
Influx of people from India, growing cases of COVID-19 in Indian and a case of local transmission here has made Sudurpaschim State vulnerable.
It is also worrying that there is no laboratory, no adequate medical equipment, lack of specialist doctors and only one ventilator in the State.
However, the directorate has said plan is afoot to conduct test with 2600 medical kits in seven hilly districts and 700 in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts.
Meanwhile, Spokesperson at Ministry of Social Development in the State, Jhankar Bahadur Bista, said a total of 143,000 Nepalis entered home from Indian border in Sudurpaschim State alone. "Swab collection is going in all districts with the coordination between security persons and health workers," he added.
Assistant chief district officer at Bajura, Samir Bhandari, said 117 persons were kept in quarantine in the district. The record of those coming to villages from India has been maintained with the coordination of local levels, he added. The locals have also been providing foods and shelter to them (at quarantines).
In Doti too, a technical team at the initiative of Nepal Army has reached various places to collect swab and blood, said COVID-19 contact person in the district, Suryar Bahadur Bista. The sample collection is going on simultaneously at six quarantines here.