COVID -19 situation in Sudurpaschim: Only two per cent in hospital isolation

Kathmandu - Sher Bahadur Singh Though the COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the Sudurpaschim state, a majority of infected remain in local quarantine centres and home quarantine. Till Wednesday evening, the number of infected from all nine districts in the state reached 3,717, the data of the State Health Directorate suggests.

As the State government has pursued a policy of admitting only those infected with noticeable symptoms to medical isolation care facilities (hospitals), around 97.1 per cent with asymptomatic conditions and no subsequent health issues are staying in quarantine centres and home quarantine. It means that only 2.28 per cent are in the hospitals. Similarly, 15 suspected patients have been admitted to the hospital's isolation.

However, locals have reservations over the government policy of treating the cases as they fear that it would contribute to the spread of the virus to community. ''The decision to send the asymptomatic patients to home quarantine has fuelled the risk of further infection,'' complained Surendra Bam of Krishnapur municipality-2. As he said, he felt that home quarantine is not safe for positive cases.

It would be better if additional separate public quarantine centres are built to deal with such cases. So far, seven people have succumbed to the virus in the state. State Health Director Dr Guna Raj Awasthi said only symptomatic cases and cases with health complications are recommended for the hospitalization as it seemed not possible to admit all the infected to hospitals.

Kailali reports the highest positive cases: 986 throughout the state and the Darchula has the lowest 19 cases. The State government has established a 50-bed corona hospital each in Dhangadhi of Kailali and Bhimduttanagar of Kanchanpur. It is said the India-returnees top the chart of infected. The government claims that the virus has not spread in community level yet.