Arrange 10,000 ventilators, House panel tells govt

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 21

Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives today directed the government to make arrangements for 10,000 ventilators, as the number of COVID-19 cases was likely to climb up to 80,000 by Dashain.

Panel Chair Krishna Bhakta Pokharel said the panel felt the need to issue directives to the government given the risk of COVID-19 infection.

“Our committee made the recommendation keeping in mind the surge in COVID-19 cases and the number of asthma patients who might need ventilator support during the winter,”

Pokharel said. The parliamentary panel also directed the government to provide at least one PCR machine in the headquarters of all districts so that people could get their swab samples tested in their own district.

The panel also asked the government to separate COVID-19 hospitals from other hospitals so that people in need of other medical care could freely get treatment from non-COVID-19 hospitals. Pokharel said many people who were in need of medical treatment were avoiding visiting hospitals, fearing the contagion. “It is a fundamental right of every citizen to get treatment and this right should not be violated in any circumstances,” he added.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on August 22, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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