The NC opposes the government’s decision to send quarantined people home after 14 days without testing them for COVID-19

Kathmandu, June 8

The main opposition Nepali Congress today issued a press release stating that the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis was a total failure.

The NC demanded that the government improve hygiene and ensure health check-up at quarantine centres, stop rapid diagnostic tests, ramp up polymerase chain reaction tests across the country and announce relief packages for businesses, industries and other sectors that were badly affected by the ongoing lockdown.

It also demanded that the government provide relief packages to workers, students, differently-abled people, poor people, single women, farmers, businesses and vulnerable groups that were badly affected by the ongoing lockdown.

The NC opposed the government’s decision to send quarantined people home after 14 days without testing them for COVID-19.

It demanded that all quarantined people and people being kept in isolation wards must be sent home only after they test negative for the virus in the PCR test.

The NC said the government’s decision to send people home from quarantine centres without testing them for COVID-19 was the height of irresponsibility.

Stating that many laboratory samples were being kept in laboratories due to lack of testing facilities, the party urged the government to set up more laboratories so that more tests could be conducted across the country.

The NC said deaths in quarantine centres and lack of basic amenities highlighted the government’s failure to handle the COV- ID-19 crisis. It said the government had not been able to test quarantined people as it lacked testing kits.

The NC also criticised the government for its failure to devise a proper plan to repatriate Nepali workers from abroad.

The party demanded that the government ensure adequate supply of protective gear for health workers involved in treatment of COV- ID-19 patients.

The NC demanded that the government issue details of funds spent to control COVID-19 pandemic.

The NC CWC also decided to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli about the work to be done immediately to stem the threat of COVID-19 and to mitigate its impact on the national economy and to create employment. The NC said it was a matter of shame that corrupt practices were seen in procurement of health equipment in the time of pandemic.

The NC formed a committee under its Joint General Secretary Prakash Sharan Mahat to monitor the government’s response to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 9, 2020, of The Himalayan Time.