Udayapur faces shortage of medical equipment for COVID-19 test

Published On: April 22, 2020 03:35 PM NPT By: RSS

UDAYAPUR, April 22: There is a shortage of medical equipment to expand coronavirus testing in Bhulke and Triyuga of Triyuga Municipality-3 in Udayapur district.

It may be noted that Bhulke and Triyuga reported 24 cases of COVID-19 out of the 41 cases confirmed so far across the country, portending a greater risk of the spread of the virus there. According to the District Public Health Office (DPHO), Udayapur, it is facing problems to expedite COVID-19 testing in the absence of the medical tools required for collecting the swab samples.

Chief of the DPHO, Mohan Subedi said Bhulke now remains as the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak not only in Udayapur but also in the entire country. It is home to around 650 people.

But so far, only 319 swab samples have been tested by the Provincial Department of Health Services (69) and Nepal Army (250) with 24 positive cases which has increased the fear of its further spread, showing an immediate need for broadening the testing coverage.

Subedi said, given the situation, they can do nothing but wait for the response from the province and federal governments. Among the 24 persons diagnosed with COVID-19 in Bhulke, 10 are locals who were doing business in the local Gaighat market and supplying vegetables to the market and it points out the need for bringing the people of Gaighat into the testing procedures, according to Gaighat-11 ward chair Jay Bikram Rai.

Triyuga Mayor Baldev Chaudhari said he has requested the provincial and federal governments for medical equipment so as to test more and more people including those of the adjoining settlements. The spread of the virus has been suspected in and around a mosque at Siwai of Chaudandai Municipality, at the Jame mosque and the Deuri mosque of Triyuga Municipality.

The virus was first detected here last Friday in 12 Indian Muslims residing in the Nuri mosque at Bhulke. Another person from Biratnagar of Morang and temporarily residing in Bhulke tested positive for the virus later. On Tuesday morning, eight more people from Bhulke were confirmed to have contracted the virus and three more cases were
confirmed in the evening.