DHANGADI, MAY 24

As new coronavirus cases increase, local levels in Kanchanpur have established a COVID hospital.

Bedkot Municipality has established a 10-bed COVID hospital in Mahendranagar Bazaar. Municipality Mayor Ashok Kumar Chand said the hospital would add 25 more beds soon. He said the hospital would be facilitated with oxygen supply for patients as many infected people had faced problems while receiving treatment due to lack of oxygen.

Chand said doctors and health workers had been appointed for operation of the hospital. As many as 307 people have tested positive for the virus in the municipality till date, while 12 have died due to the respiratory contagion.

Similarly, Suklaphanta Municipality has also brought a 15-bed COVID hospital into operation.

Mayor Dil Bahadur Aire said the hospital would provide service to critical patients.

"Critical patients have been treated at the hospital," he added.

As many as 135 people have been infected with coronavirus in the municipality till date and nine have lost their lives to the infection.

The municipality has been collecting swab samples for PCR tests and has also been carrying out rapid diagnostic tests for antigens twice a week.

Likewise, Punarbas Municipality has also converted an old building of Tribhuvan Basti Health Post into a COV- ID hospital. The hospital has started operating with 15 beds and oxygen facility.

Municipality Mayor Jiban Raj Thapa said that the compulsion to take critical patients to Mahendranagar and Dhangadi had now ended.

"However, we have been facing problems in treating patients due to lack of oxygen," he said.

Belauri Municipality, in coordination with a private hospital, has also brought into operation COVID hospital with 50 beds and oxygen facility. Mayor Potilal Chaudhary said 30 COVID patients are receiving treatment in the hospital.

Similarly, Dodhara Chandani Municipality has also started treating COVID patients in Dodhara Health Post. As many as 15 patients are receiving treatment even though the hospital has only eight beds.

Dr Gagan Chaudhary said preparation was under way to operate health services with 25 beds. "The pressure of patients has increased, and critical patients are also arriving at the hospital for treatment," he said, adding that the hospital had not been able to provide better service due to the lack of oxygen and manpower. He said that as many as 25 to 30 patients reached the health post every day.

A version of this article appears in the print on May 25, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.