Available testing kits to be insufficient to conduct rapid test in Kailali

The available quantity of coronavirus testing kits in Kailali is not sufficient to conduct rapid test in the district as decided by the government. Earlier the government had decided to conduct the rapid coronavirus test in three districts including Kailali citing much vulnerability to the COVID-19 infection.

But the given quantity of testing kits is inadequate to conduct the test as per the need. The local levels guess that over 10,000 people returned homes from several parts of India in the past 30 days alone.

According to health workers, lately some 150 thousand people entered the Sudurpaschim State via Nepal-India border points and other clandestine routes.

The central government has supplied just 10,000 testing kits for the State. ” Is this adequate for conducting tests of those people,” questioned a health worker. " There are around 500-700 people in the Tikapur municipality who returned home from India in the past 30 days and are in home quarantine. But, the local government has been provided just 60 testing kits, according to municipality, health section chief Bal Bahadur Rawal.

In Lamki Chuha municipality, the government has sent just 50 testing kits. Municipality’s health section coordinator Jayanti Bista said they just got 15 unused kits and they would be used for tests on Sunday. Over 2,000 people returned homes in Lamki Chuha from India in the past one month, mayor Mahadev Bajgain said.

Sudurpashim State Health Directorate’s public health officer Om Prakash Joshi however said the first phase of test was targeted to those only in quarantine.

Public health officer of Social Development Ministry’s at State Narendra Singh Karki said additional 10000 kits were demanded from the federal government to extend the service.

Meanwhile, the IME Life Insurance has assisted 10 sets of personal protection equipment to the Tikapur Hospital. Insurance Sudurpashim chief Suman Timilsina handed the assistance to hospital chief Deepak Rawal.