Kanchanpur border health desks face problems due to lack of test kits

Around 800 Nepalis have been returning home from India via Gaddachauki and Trinagar border points in Kanchanpur district of Sudurpaschim Province of late. Just a week before there used to be 1,600 to 2,000 returnees entering Nepal.

Likewise, 40 to 70 Indian nationals have also been entering India via these border points, spokesperson for Sudurpaschim Province Police Office, Superintendent of Police (SP) Yogendra Singh Thapa informed NepalNews. He said the health desks set up at the border points have been conducting check-up on returnees from India while Nepal Police has been conducting the security check, in coordination with Armed Police Force, he informed. Around 50 police personnel have been mobilised to each health desk.

"Usually 15 to 20 per cent of the returnees from India test positive in antigen test on a daily basis but now we have been facing problem due to lack of test kits," spokesperson for Sudurpaschim Police said and added that those who test positive are sent to Seti Technical Hospital. Others who test negative on antigen test are sent to their respective district. Presently, the Kanchanpur District Coordination Committee has arranged buses in coordination with transportation entrepreneurs.

SP Thapa highlighted that currently, the health desks set up at the two border points in Kanchanpur have been facing problems due to lack of antigen test kits.

Deputy Speaker of Sudurpaschim Province, Nirmala Badal Joshi, said the provincial government has already apprised the federal government of the situation. Likewise, Province Speaker Arjun Bahadur Thapa said that the provincial government has already proceeded with the supply of test kits to the health desks at the two border transit points in Kanchanpur. 

It has been learnt that the quarantine-stay has not been made mandatory for the Nepali migrant workers returning from India like it had been arranged during the first wave of coronavirus infection in the country. Moreover, it has been learnt that many people entering Nepal from India go unchecked as the health desks have been facing problems due to lack of test kits. Kanchanpur district has been organising separate arrangements for the returnees while residents of other districts — Bajhang, Bajura, Doti, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Darchula, Achham, and Kailali — have been sent to their homes. 

Meanwhile, MoHP today reported four new cases from the test conducted on 51 returnees at Gaddachauki Health Desk in the 24 hours. Likewise, 42 persons among 265 returnees from India have tested positive for the coronavirus infection in the test conducted at Trinagar Health Desk.

As of Saturday, 1,302 people infected with coronavirus infection have been staying in home isolation, 656 others have been placed in institutional isolation while 22 patients have been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) and eight others with ventilator support.

The data released by the Health Ministry showed the availability of 38 ICU beds and 23 ventilators in the far-west province.