More health workers contract coronavirus in Chitwan district

Chitwan, August 16

COVID infections are increasing among doctors and health workers at hospitals in Chitwan.

With the rise in infections among heath workers, a high alert has been put in place.

Four doctors, including the chief of Bharatpur Hospital and one health worker, tested positive for COVID-19. Due to this, Bharatpur Hospital is having a hard time treating COVID patients. Hospital Development Committee Chair Dr Bhojraj Adhikari said that Medical Superintendent Dr Shreeram Tiwari, Dr Sunilmani Pokhrel, one doctor at the emergency ward and a health worker had tested positive for the virus.

Similarly, a residential doctor too has tested positive for the respiratory contagion. He had returned from Kathmandu yesterday.

One doctor working at the ICU and one health worker in the emergency ward tested positive for COVID three days ago.

Chairman Adhikari said no stone would be left unturned in the treatment of COVID patients at the hospital.

Similarly, all services except emergency were closed down after health workers and patients at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital started testing positive for COVID-19. Ten nurses and seven patients have tested positive for the virus at the hospital till date.

Executive Director Dr Dej Kumar Gautam closed the hospital saying hospital employees and patients had contracted the deadly virus.

With the surge in COVID cases, a prohibitory order has been imposed in Bharatpur Metropolitan City since Friday midnight. A joint meeting had decided to impose the prohibitory order in Ratna Nagar, Khairheni, Kalika and Rapti municipalities for a week starting from today.

Meanwhile, Chitwan Medical College has received permission to carry our PCR tests at private hospitals in Chitwan.

Following the inspection, National Public Health Laboratory, Teku, granted the permission to the college to conduct PCR tests .

College Chair and Managing Director Dr Harischandra Neupane said the lab would come into operation from August 18.

Bharatpur Hospital has been conducting PCR tests on patients for free as per the direction from the Ministry of Health and Population.

According to Neupane, the medical college charges Rs 6,005 per person for PCR test.

The lab has capacity to conduct test on 400 people in six hours. Seven lab technicians have been hired to carry out PCR tests.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on August 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

The post More health workers contract coronavirus in Chitwan district appeared first on The Himalayan Times.