NC asks govt to entrust new leadership to oversee COVID-19 response

KATHMANDU, Aug 10: While stating that the current leadership entrusted to oversee the response measures of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was ineffective, the main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has urged the government to provide the responsibility to oversee the management of COVID-19 to a new leadership.

A COVID-19 Monitoring Committee formed by the NC has said that the government's response to COVID-19 pandemic had been a total failure as merit of individual government employees and their seniority and professionalism were undermined at the Health Ministry. 

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Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Iswar Pokharel is currently overseeing the government response to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The party has asked the government to assign job responsibilities to the government employees on the basis of seniority and professionalism to help make the COVID-19 response effective.

Addressing a press conference organized on Monday, the COVID-19 Monitoring Committee Coordinator Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat alleged that the government had demonstrated utter negligence in regard to the management of COVID-19 pandemic. He also alleged that the government had instead focused on making controversial appointments and promoting corruption and financial irregularities.

Dr Mahat said that it is very important for the government to identify, isolate and treat patients suffering from the COVID-19 as there is a high chance of further spread of this virus. “But the government has continued to demonstrate indifferences despite our repeated calls,” he said.

Stating that the country cannot afford to go to a complete lockdown again, the COVID-19 Monitoring Committee has urged the government to expand the scope of the COVID-19 testings, enforced targeted lockdown at local level and isolate those found affected by the COVID-19 virus. Among other things, the Committee has asked the government to restrict cross-movement of people and take diplomatic initiatives to help rescue all Nepali nationals, who are living in miserable conditions as a result of job loss in various labor destinations.