BIRATNAGAR, April 8: The government of province 1 has announced a compensation of Rs five million for the families of health workers and other caregivers if they die in the course of handling COVID-19 cases. The move comes amid growing number of doctors and health workers expressing reluctance to provide care to COVID-19 patients fearing the contagion.

Dozens of doctors and other health staffs of different countries have sacrificed their lives while trying to save the virus infected patients.

Health workers in the country have also been demanding adequate personal protection equipment. However, the government has not been able to provide adequate numbers of PPEs.

The provincial cabinet meeting on Tuesday announced the compensation, according to Hikmat Karki, provincial minister for internal affairs. "This does not mean we are not serious about providing PPEs. We are trying are best to provide all necessary equipment to the medics," he said.

He further stated that the compensation will not be limited to health professionals alone. The civil servants, police personnel and local government staffers dying of COVID-19 in the course of their employment will also be entitled to the compensation.

Province 1 has not reported any COVID-19 case until now. However, health workers have urged testing at large scale to prevent any spread of the disease in the province.

Until Tuesday throat swab samples of 90 people have been collected in the province. Among them, 85 samples were negative, while the results of five samples are awaited. According to social development ministry, nine people are in isolation and 613 in quarantine in the province. Similarly, 2885 persons are in home quarantine, according to officials.

 
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