Govt gathering details to mobilise volunteer medical workforce in fight against COVID-19

Kathmandu - The government is collecting details for mobilising volunteer workforce in the efforts meant for the prevention and control of coronavirus. The Ministry of Health and Population has formed a committee coordinated by Medical Education Commission vice chair Shree Krishna Giri to proceed towards that end.

The committee also comprises ministry's chief specialist Roshan Pokhrel, joint-secretary Dr Gunaraj Lohani and Deepak Sharma of the Ministry of Education. The committee has so far prepared details over 2,000 medical force who are the graduates from several medical colleges wishing to volunteer in the COVID-10 preventive and control efforts.

Among them, 527 are doctors and 1,486 are nurses. They are graduated from the Nobel Medical College, Biratnagar; Chitawan Medical College; College of Medical Sciences Bharatpur; Gandaki Medical College, Nepal Medical College, Sinamangal, Kist Medical College, Kathmandu; Manipal Medical College, Palpa; Universal Medical College, Bhairahawa; and Nepalgunj Medical College, Nepalgunj; Birat Medical College.

Earlier, the government had decided to mobilise retired doctors and those studied on government scholarship in the battle against the virus. They will be mobilised either as volunteers or with minimum facilities for three months. According to the Ministry, if private sectors wish to join the government service they will be adjusted in their present working posts and will be mobilised in the campaign against COVID-19.