NC team meets minister Dhakal, seeks effective protection measures against COVID-19

Kathmandu - The main opposition Nepali Congress has drawn the government's attention towards taking effective measures for prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic. The party also seeks to know about the government preparations for dealing with the crisis ahead. In this connection, today, party's 'COVID- 19 monitoring committee' coordinator and party joint general secretary Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat and his delegation called on Minister for Health and Population Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal.

The delegation drew the Minister's attention towards the proper handling of coronavirus quarantine centres across the country, safe entry of Nepalis returning home from abroad, unhindered medical care for other patients, pregnant and post-partum mothers and maintenance of transparency in procurement of health materials.

The party has accused that people's life is being pushed towards further difficulty due to government's weakness in handling the crisis despite the party's unabated support and cooperation, media's warning and solidarity from the civil society and citizens. On the occasion, the Minister said the government was doing its best to control and treat the virus and it had been facing relatively less challenges in the management of quarantine facilities as the number of abroad returnees was falling down gradually.

As he said, the government has pursued a policy of discouraging the coronavirus test through RDT procedures. According to him, the existing PCR test capacity is for 8,000 on a daily basis and it will be increased to 10,000 within the next few days. NC leaders NP Saud, Chandra Bhandari, Gagan Kumar Thapa,

Mohan Bahadur Basnet, party office secretary Dr Pradeep Parajuli, and National Planning Commission former member Prabhu Budhathoki were in the delegation which is scheduled to call on the Finance Minister at 2:00 pm today to discuss about COVID-19 impact on nation's economy.