BAJURA: An 18-year-old male suffering from hepatitis is presently staying inside a quarantine facility of Bajura district and being treated there in lack of a better alternative.

The teenager from Budhiganga Municipality-2 reached Bajura from India on May 30. He is stationed at a make-shift quarantine inside Chaitepipal Suryodaya School in the district.

"He is ill, but unfortunately, undergoing treatment inside the quarantine due to lack of isolation facility at the district hospital," said Budhiganga Municipality's health coordinator Deepak Sah.

"Hepatitis is a contagious disease. I am living with 37 people in the quarantine area including one pregnant woman and nine children. On one hand, I am worried about myself, while on the other, there lies a risk of others contracting the disease," the 18-year-old was quoted as saying on a local media.

"All of us share a common toilet and a eating facility," he lamented.

Many with complex illnesses are being treated in quarantine. People are getting more sick due to lack of isolation facilities. Dr Rohit Giri at District Hospital, Bajura, said it is difficult to handle the critical situation of treating people in quarantine.

"There are presently two persons in the isolation ward of the district hospital — one who tested positive for the virus and another negative. But there should be a separate isolation wards to keep positive and suspected patients, added Dr Giri.

According to hospital chief, Dr Rup Chandra Bishwakarma, "The hospital is preparing to manage separate isolation facilities. Due to lack of proper management and resources, patients are compelled to use a common toilet inside Bajura District Hospital."

“Those infected and others suspected are accommodated in the same isolation so far but we will try to manage separate toilets at least,” concluded Dr Bishwakarma.