People continue to throng Infectious Hospital for COVID test

Kathmandu - Teku-based Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital is overwhelmed as people continue to flood the hospital seeking coronavirus test. With the government decision to ease the lockdown rules and let offices and markets in the Kathmandu Valley to reopen, the people's flow in the hospital has sharply increased.

Under this circumstance, the hospital is finding it hard to manage the crowd. ''Though we are told by the government to observe social distancing, it is challenging for us to even manage the crowd,'' said hospital director Dr Sagar Rajbhandari. As he said, the hospital has not got any direction from the line minister in regard with handling the situation. It is said 700 to 1,300 people visit the hospital on a daily basis for the test. On Friday, this number was 900.

The visitors are urged to maintain physical distancing, but it seems not possible among the crowd. However, the testing is being carried out on the basis of certain criteria: travel history, contact tracing , body temperature and so on . Those who deem to have fallen in red zone are identified and tested.

Those adjudged as having less or no risk of the infection during inquiry are sent back with green marks It is said more number of test seekers belong to the second category. People residing in the Kathmandu Valley temporarily who went homes during lockdown are visiting the hospital for the test following their return to convince house owners that they do not carry the virus and the figure of such population is the highest.