Cabinet meeting of Gandaki Province held on 5 April has decided to supervise and support the health institutions of the province. It is also notified that government or private hospitals that refuse to provide health services to the sick ones will not be excused. The hospital or responsible person found with such an act will be punished under “Nepal’s Infectious Disease Act” and other prevailing law, and local administration is instructed to do accordingly.
The Cabinet meeting’s other decision is to carry the coronavirus test among foreign-returnees and their families who are kept in-home quarantine. Through the Ministry of Social Development, cabinet’s decisions are circulated to health institutions, district administration offices and local governments of Gandaki Province, for the implementation.
According to Baglung District Representative Srijana Panta, coronavirus test samples of infected old women’s family members resulted in negative. Baglung district’s entire 10 local levels have established ‘Corona Virus Prevention and Management Fund.” Through this fund, essential medical materials, medicine, food items for daily wage earners, and rescue and relief for COVID-19 infected people will be carried out.
According to Nawalparasi (Bardaghat, Susta East) district representative Tirtharaj Dumre, coronavirus suspected 5 cases’ test report resulted in negative. Overall, coronavirus test report of all 14 people in the district resulted in negative.
According to Gorkha District Representative Hari Ram Uprety, Lockdown has been completely implemented in Gorkha on April 5. District Administration Office’s officer Hark Roka has said that, among 396 foreign returnees, 11 people are kept in mass quarantine. There are 5 people kept in Dharche Rural Municipality’s Machhakhola Porter House Shelter, and 2 people in Parbati Basic School shelter. Likewise, Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality shelter has kept 2 people, Barpak Sulikot Rural municipality sheltered a person and rest of the other foreign returnees are under self-quarantine.
According to Kaski District Representative Sushan Ghimire, the major city areas of the district are under complete lockdown but rural areas have not followed the lockdown seriously. Health Directorial Emergency Action Center’s contact person Nawaraj Sharma has that among 31 suspected cases, 28 people’s sample test resulted in negative and 3 test results are yet to come. Today (Sunday) coronavirus test on 4 people were performed and the result is yet to come.
From Sunday, Nepal Redcross society Kaski, Army Hospital Fulbari, Hariyokharkha Hospital Nayagaun, BG Hospital Matepani, Siddhartha Club Bagaletole and Fishtail Hospital Gairhapatan have started ambulance service with standard PPE equipments for suspected and infected coronavirus cases.
Pokhara Metropolitan City spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Nepali has said that emergency relief packages for the people in need will be distributed through ward offices and required name lists have already been collected.
According to Parbat District Representative Santosh Thapa, only 7 people have visited to district hospital’s “Fever Clinic” to test fever. Among them, test samples for coronavirus test for 2 persons belonging to Kushma Municipality-8, Chuwa have been sent to Pokhara Institute of Health and Sciences. In the district, only the major city areas are complying with the lockdown rules but rural areas are not obeying the lockdown rules.
Most people staying in city areas have returned to their villages due to coronavirus outbreak. While the villages have occupied more people than cities during this pandemic, the city returnees along with villagers seem less sensitive towards the situation and ignoring the safety measures.
According to Tanahun District Representative Prakash Chandra Bhattarai, there are 704 foreign returnees in the district. And among them, 2 persons were kept in quarantine in Byas Municipality shelter and they went home after 14 days on April 4. Now only one person is kept in quarantine in Debghat Rural Municipality and there is not a single COVID-19 sample test being carried out in the district. District Administration Office has appealed to the public to follow the lockdown.
In order to support corona virus-infected people and their families, all local governments of Tanahun district have established “Corona Virus Emergency Relief Fun.” Suklagandaki municipality-12 has started buying agricultural products from farmers and distributing to the people. Ward chairperson Manraj Gurung has said that, due to the coronavirus outbreak, means of transportations have to be closed which can cause agricultural products to go to waste. So ward office bought them in order to distribute the people in need. Along with vegetables every household is being provided soaps and hand wash liquids by ward office.
According to Myagdi District Representative Amrit Baskune, 14 people who were under quarantine in Beni Municipality have returned home after completion of 14 days quarantine period. 7 foreign returnees and 13 returnees from other districts are kept in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality Quarantine Shelter. There are 9 people in Raghuganga Rural Municipality and 3 people in Mangala Rural Municipality staying in quarantine.
A total of 392 people have been listed to be provided relief packages which include 197 households of Beni Municipality, 60 households of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality, and 135 households of Raghuganga Rural Municipality. Data collection of the district’s overall people in need is being carried out.
According to Lamjung District Representative Dal Bahadur Majakoti, 4 people’s test samples resulted in negative. Local governments of the district are performing relief and emergency support distribution programs. Dordi Rural Municipality Chairperson Om Bahadur Gurung has informed that 709 daily wage earners from outside districts and 92 marginalized families of the rural municipality are going to be provided with the necessary support. According to Chairperson Gurung, food items will be purchased from the vendor after selecting them based on their quotations. There have been2 collection centres established in order to make accessible to the beneficiaries and to ease relief distribution process.
Rainas Municipality has planned to provide essential items for 107 daily wage earners and 1,233 marginalized community’s people as informed by Mayor Singha Bahadur Thapa. Sundar Bajar Municipality Mayor Janakraj Mishra has said that the municipality has prepared the name list of 601 daily wage earners and 1,100 poor families to be provided relief materials. Mayor Mishra has complained that due to the food scarcity in the market, vendors are refusing to provide quotations.