Biratnagar, March 20

Amidst fear of COVID-19 pandemic, Province 1 government is preparing to build a temporary hospital for treatment of suspected coronavirus patients.

According to Social Development Minister Jivan Ghimire of the province, a 50-bed provisional facility would be set up in a week at National Trading building in Biratnagar for treatment of suspected coronavirus patients.

“Any suspected patient of COVID-19 referred by other hospitals will be kept in the exclusive coronavirus provisional treatment facility,” he said. Necessary equipment would be managed on loan from other hospitals until new ones were bought.

“As purchasing of equipment will take time, we’re thinking of operating the hospital with immediate effect by borrowing equipment from other hospitals for the time being,” said Ghimire.

The decision to set up temporary facility to cater to suspected coronavirus patients was taken by an all-party meeting held here today, acknowledging the high risk posed by the deadly virus that has claimed over 10,000 lives so far worldwide.

It is crucial to note that the provincial government has set up quarantine centres with a capacity to accommodate 440 persons at different places. Quarantine facilities have been set up in Morang’s Tandi and Udayapur’s Belsot, each with the capacity to accommodate up to 200 persons, and another one at Jhapa’s Bhadrapur.