KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 23

There has been a steady rise in the number of patients, who need ventilator support and intensive care in the course of treatment of the coronavirus disease, across the country.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 43 persons have been given ventilator care across the country while 220 persons are kept in intensive care units at various health centres across the country.

“The number of people in the need of ventilator care has been rising across the country. That is because the infection has started to spread at community level. Elderly and patients with immune-compromised status such as diabetic, cancer, kidney patients have been infected,” said Anup Bastola, chief consultant tropical medicine at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital.

According to data by STIDH, as many as 16 people are kept in intensive care units. People aged above 50 are kept in the ICU. “If people do not fully adopt preventive measures against the infection, a large number of people will be infected across the country. Those with underlying medical health conditions and immune-compromised status will be affected the most as they are under a high risk,” said Bastola.

“The infection has been rising among people with chronic health conditions and as the severity of coronavirus is higher among elderly and people with lower immunity power, they need intensive care and ventilator care,” said Samir Kumar Adhikari, assistant spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population.

According to the health ministry, there are about 940 ventilators at health centres across the country.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 24, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.