State of public health emergency or lockdown is necessary: Health Minister

Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi has mooted a new move for the prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19.

At a virtual press meet organised by the Ministry today, he underlined the need of enforcing a state of public health emergency or lockdown since the existing move is not likely to be adequate to stem the coronavirus outbreak. “However, it needs a collective decision to go for a new measure”.

The health minister warned that the intensive care units, high dependency units and ventilators the government has would not bear the pressure of patients if the second wave of the infection remained at the present level.

He urged all to remain cautious as the rate of pandemic outbreak is ascending. Minister Tripathi also asked the people not to make unnecessary remarks without understanding the fact behind the COVID-19 vaccines. “The government has not provided commission to anybody,” he said, adding that the government had directly procured the vaccine from the vaccine producing company at the rate of four Dollars each”.

He made it clear that only one million vaccines Nepal procured have not come to the country due to a fire outbreak in the ‘Covishield’ vaccine producing company, Serum Institute of India, and the spiralling transmission of COVID-19 in India.

“The procured quantity of vaccines would come after India allows for its export,” he said, adding that India has prevented the export with the spike of coronavirus infection in its territory.

The minister also shared that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in consultation with the Nepal-based embassy of US, Russia, China and UK for importing vaccines.

On the occasion, Health Ministry Secretary Laxman Acharya said the government could declare the state of health emergency as per the need as the ministry has already sent its advice in this regard. He further shared that the Finance Ministry has assured the release of Rs 14 billion for the procurement of medical supplies and equipment, and for management of the human resource.

Chief Specialist of the Ministry Dr Roshan Pokharel said 128,000 people got infected in a month of late and the prevention and control of the pandemic could be possible through collective efforts. He also shared that the medicines used for the treatment of coronavirus infected people such as Remdesivir are smoothly made available now.