In Rolpa, quarantine facilities are packed but proper testing is still hard to come by

Published On: June 4, 2020 07:15 PM NPT By: Dinesh Subedi


Rolpa, June 4: At present, almost all the COVID-19 quarantine facilities in Rolpa are already filled with people. Although the federal and provincial governments haven't done anything significant to provide help, local authorities have tried their best in facilitating people with better services. As per the data recorded until Wednesday, a total of 8,645 people have already returned home from various quarantine facilities in the district. Currently there are 2,068 people quarantined.

Some 1,191 people out of the ones still in quarantine came from various border points with India whereas the others came from various districts. Although the local government is facing privations in keeping more than 10,000 people in quarantine facilities at once, it has been managing facilities to its level best.

However, due to the overwhelming numbers of people coming to the quarantine facilities, there are problems in providing better health checkups and services to them.

Even though more than 10,000 have already stayed in quarantine, the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) has been carried out on only 496 individuals.  Eight people out of them have tested positive. However, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results of them have not been verified yet.

Recently, 1,191 people came from the Indian border but more than 1,000 of them haven't even been examined with the RDT test.

The swab samples of people who tested positive through the RDT were sent for PCR test more than six days ago. However, the results have not been verified yet.

Rolpa which is considered as one of the most risky districts for the spread of coronavirus has only one 15-bed hospital. But, even this hospital lacks mandatory facilities. After the government directed the authorities to construct at least 50 isolation wards in every district, the local administration here has decided to build isolation wards in Jaljala Bhaumukhi Campus.

As a district that has already been struggling in terms of physical infrastructures, it is transparent that the spread of the virus will bring more difficulties for it to carry on with development activities allocated in the national budget for this fiscal year.

Although perplexed with extreme fear and confusion about the virus, the 10 local units in the district have spared no effort in regulating the spread of the virus. However, there are still problems in implementing sanitation guidelines inside the quarantine facilities.

Previously, before the RDT testing system was started in the district, about 8,000 people who stayed in quarantine facilities were sent back home only after getting their body temperature measured.

 

 


Leave A Comment