KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Isolation centers, ICU beds and ventilators have started going empty in the Kathmandu Valley as the people diagnosed with the COVID-19 are found preferring to stay in home isolation rather than visiting hospital for treatment.

Bhaktapur district recorded 86 new cases on Tuesday, 128 on Monday, 68 on Sunday and 118 others on Saturday. On the average, the district has been witnessing more than 100 new cases a day. Despite the surge in daily COVID-19 cases, the isolation centers are getting empty day by day.

Of the total 871-bed isolation centers in Bhaktapur, only 59 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment in those isolation centers as of Tuesday.

As the government directed COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms to stay in home isolations, the number of patients staying in home isolation has surged across the nation.

Government’s earlier decision not to provide free of cost treatment to COVID-19 patients treatment also compelled people to stay in home isolation.

Not only the isolation centers but also ICU’s and ventilators have also remained empty even in the midst of the pandemic in Bhaktapur.

Bhaktapur has 19 ICU-beds hospital of which only six are occupied as of Tuesday. ICU beds in Nepal Korea Friendship Municipality Hospital and KMC Hospital are completely vacant.

Of the total 12 ventilators designated for COVID-19 patients in the district, only two patients are currently undergoing treatment with ventilator support. Remaining ten other ventilators are not taken.

While the COVID-19 patients are dying daily in home isolations due to lack of equipment and proper care, the empty beds in isolation centers, ICUs and COVID designated hospitals tell different stories.

(With inputs from RSS)

 
• Bhaktapur
 
• COVID-19
 
• Isolation_centers