BAJURA, DECEMBER 19

Lack of an isolation centre has created a problem in treating COVID-19 patients in Bajura. Yesterday, 14 persons had tested positive for coronavirus in the district headquarters Martadi. One of them, who used to live in a rented room, inquired everywhere for an isolation centre but to no avail. Unable to find such a facility, he returned to his room and started living there in isolation.

After the government decision to designate the district hospital here as a COVID-19 treatment centre, the hospital had built an isolation centre in a District Coordination Committee building. However, the DCC staffers converted it into residential quarters as there were no cases of the contagion for quite some time. “We had prepared an isolation centre in the DCC building, but after the DCC staffers turned it into a residential building for them, we have been left with no place to treat COVID patients,” said Dr Rupchandra Bishwokarma.

DCC Chief Narendra Kumar Rokaya, on his part, said they needed the building and couldn’t allow it to be used as an isolation centre any more.

“It’s our building, and we had allowed the hospital to use it for sometime. Now as it was necessary for us, we have used it,” Rokaya explained, suggesting that the hospital could build an isolation facility on its own.

Though Badimalika Municipality had earlier rented a house near the hospital to keep COVID-19 patients in isolation, it said it wouldn’t be using the house any longer as the house was not suitable for the purpose.