NEPALGUNJ: Health institutions in Nepalgunj are on high alert after two persons were suspected of having swine-flu. Health workers deployed in the health desks at the entry points to Nepal via Nepalgunj are also on high alert to prevent swine flu entering Nepal. The two suspected patients of swine flu were quarantined in the isolation ward of the Bheri Zonal Hospital for further investigation. Focal person Ram Bahadur Chand informed that they had intensified works to prevent the disease from entering Nepal after its surge in neighbouring Indian states.

According to him, they had examined more than five hundred people at the health desk set up on June 29 at the Nepalgunj entry point. Police personnel have also been deployed at the health desk to ease the health checking process. According to Chand, four police personnel were deployed to assist the health workers.

Dr Shyam sundar Yadav, superintendent at Bheri Zonal hospital, informed that they were closely examining the two suspected patients. However, he informed that there were no special facilities or management in the isolation ward. He said that the suspected patients would go out of the isolation ward to have their food or use the toilet. Hospital management said that they could not stop the suspected patients from coming out of the isolation their rooms as the local administration had not assisted in properly facilitating the isolation ward.

Dr Sushil Koirala of Bheri Zonal Hospital and chairman of an NGO, Peace for Nepal, said that they were organising various awareness programmes and distributing masks in the area for the prevention of swine flu. Doctor Koirala informed that they had also organised orientation programmes for health workers to inform them about swine-flu. He said that health workers themselves were ignorant of swine-flu.

They had distributed masks in educational institutions and different organisations as part of their awareness campaign. He informed that they had distributed masks in government offices as well. Meanwhile, Banke CDO Birendra Baniya said that health workers were on high alert to prevent the disease in the region.