Banke establishes 50-bed Corona Isolation Hospital

NEPALGUNJ: Banke district has established a 50-bed capacity Corona Isolation Hospital including six Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds with dedicated ventilators in Khajura Rural Municipality.

According to Dr Prakash Bahadur Thapa, Medical Superintendent at Bheri Hospital, Nepalgunj, Sushil Koirala Prakhar Cancer Hospital was converted to the isolation hospital following a decision of Province 5 government. The hospital is at the final stage of being operational, added Dr Thapa.

The hospital is ready to operate and will facilitate coronavirus infected or suspected persons, informed Dr Bishwaram Paudel while adding that only few ICU equipment are remaining to being installed.

Earlier, Province 5 had decided to convert Dang-based Beljhundi Ayurved Hospital, Bhairahawa Hospital, Butwal Provincial Hospital and Sushil Koirala Prakhar Cancer Hospital into coronavirus specific isolation hospitals and has already allocated Rs 20 million to each hospital for conversion.

Meanwhile, all swab samples collected from the district and sent to the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) in Kathmandu have come out negative for COVID-19.

According to Dr Thapa, the district had sent swab samples of 23 persons, including four who returned from France together with the second confirmed COVID-19 patient, for test.

Likewise, as many as 145 persons who returned from foreign countries have been quarantined.