KATHMANDU, AUGUST 13
Amid the warnings about possible third wave of COVID-19 in the country by the health experts, the Ministry of Home Affairs have directed chief district officers of all the 77 districts to prepare by all means to tackle the possible catastrophic situation triggered by the third wave of COVID-19.
It has asked to the CDOs to make sure that enough Isolation centres are set up in each district, regulate, monitor and list the hospitals and medical colleges that provide COVID-19 treatment.
The MoHA, issuing a notice, has asked all CDOs to start making arrangements to this end as the health experts have already ringed the alarm for the third wave of the COVID-19. "We had a tough time fighting against the virus during the first and the second wave which completely devastated the already fragile health care system of the country. With possibilities of a similar incident all CDOs are requested to act promptly to avoid such situation," the ministry's notice reads.
It has said that the COVID-19 designated hospitals during the second wave are now no more mandated to treat COVID-19 patients. "So new list of the hospitals for treating COVID patients should be provided to the Health Emergency Centre under the Ministry of Health and Population Ministry," the notice reads. Earlier, the government had mandated all government and private hospitals with capacity of above 50 beds to treat the COVID-19 patients." But, this rule was revoked after virus cases started declining.
The ministry has also said to provide detailed information of the infected persons on a regular basis to the health ministry. It has also asked to keep records of those who are receiving free treatment along with records of the hospitals charging patients for the COVID treatment. Timely and regular monitoring of COVID-19 designated hospitals is also required, reads the notice.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 14 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
