As government plans to evacuate Nepalis from Hubei, experts stress preparedness at home
Nepali embassy in Beijing has asked Nepalis wishing to return from the virus-hit Chinese province to fill out forms and contact it. A passenger wearing face mask arrives at Tribhuvan International Airport. AP/RSS
Days after ruling out the evacuation of Nepalis from China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that it is working on a plan to rescue those who are currently in Hubei, the Chinese province most affected by the coronavirus outbreak, which started from its capital city—Wuhan.
The coronavirus outbreak, which now has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation, has claimed 259 lives in China and affected 11,791 globally.
After several countries launched measures to evacuate their citizens, the Nepal government, too, is now planning to rescue Nepalis, especially from Hubei Province, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The Foreign Ministry on Saturday held a meeting with concerned authorities to plan Nepalis’ evacuation from Hubei, Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi told the Post.
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing also issued a notice, saying that the Nepal government is making an all-out effort to rescue Nepalis from Hubei.
“Plans for a special chartered flight are being worked out and details will be shared as soon as they are available,” the embassy said in the notice.
The government plan follows requests from Nepalis in Hubei to rescue them from the province which has been put under lockdown for weeks in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Experts, however, called for coordinated efforts and preparedness back at home before evacuating Nepalis from China. There are no dedicated isolation wards and there’s a lack of expertise and technology to deal with cases, according to them.
“Safely handling cases is tougher than taking a political decision of bringing back the Nepalis who are stuck in the virus-hit Hubei Province,” Dr Baburam Marasini, former director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, told the Post. “The deadly disease could spread to masses if not handled properly in transition—at the airport and quarantine facilities.
The announcements from the Foreign Ministry and the Nepali embassy in Beijing follow a statement from the Embassy of China in Kathmandu on Saturday in which it said lives and medical care of Nepali citizens, including students, who are in Wuhan are guaranteed.
“China will continue to take proactive measures to protect their legitimate rights and interests,” reads the Chinese embassy statement. “The Nepali side can communicate with the Chinese Embassy in Nepal or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in a timely manner.”
Nepal so far has reported one confirmed case of the new strain of coronavirus, but it continues to be a mystery with conflicting statements from the patient and doctors involved in his treatment.
Experts said they appreciate the government’s plan to bring back Nepalis from the virus-hit Chinese city but urged prudence. Nepal’s lack of preparedness to deal with outbreaks has been exposed in the past as well, said Marasini.
“Arranging a chartered flight won’t be that difficult, but we need to have proper quarantine facilities here at home,” Marasini told the Post. “We should not forget that a South Korean, who had visited the Middle East, was diagnosed with MERS coronavirus in 2015 and the first imported case had sparked an outbreak that spread through hospitals.” The virus had sickened as many as 186. “It does not mean that we should not rescue our fellow citizens, but the government needs to work on a war-footing to prepare quarantine facilities,” said Marasini.
The Nepali embassy, however, has already apprised Nepalis of its plan to evacuate them.
“All Nepali nationals currently residing in Hubei Province are requested to fill a form available on the embassy website and send it to [email protected],” the embassy said in the notice. The embassy has said only those who intend to return to Nepal on the chartered flight should fill the form.
“Please be advised that if you fail to fulfil this requirement, except as a result of pre-embarkment health check-up at the airport, the applicant will face consequences as per law,” reads the notice. “The particulars of the chartered flight will be arranged on the basis of submissions made by Nepali nationals willing to go back to Nepal.”
The embassy has asked all those Nepalis who want to return home to submit the form no later than 9am Sunday, February 2.
“Late submissions will not be entertained. Every passport holder should fill a separate form. The forms for minors should be filled by one of the parents and sent together in one package,” reads the notice.
Bairagi said the government will hold consultations with all the concerned agencies first and finalise the place for setting up quarantines facilities before starting the evacuation of Nepalis.
According to Health Ministry officials, as many as 177 Nepalis from Hubei Province are in touch with the Nepali embassy in Beijing.
“Those returning from China need to be kept for two weeks in incubation, and we need quarantine centres,” said Mahendra Shrestha, spokersperson for the Health Ministry. “Army barracks, police training centres and the staff college could be some options where we can keep those returning from China.”
At the time of the Ebola epidemic, the Nepal Army had used its Shivapuri barracks to quarantine its personnel who had returned from the peacekeeping mission in the disease-hit countries. The Armed Police Force had used its training centre to quarantine its personnel.
The Nepal Army said as of Saturday it had not received any communication or request regarding setting up quarantine centres.
“Anyway, our existing isolation ward is too small, and a new one that is being built is yet to be completed,” Brigadier General Bigyan Dev Pandey, spokesperson for the Nepal Army, told the Post.
The one facility that can be used to quarantine Nepalis from China is Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, said Dr Basudev Pandey, director at the hospital.
“The conference hall of Ayurvedic Hospital in Kritipur and training centres of the Nepal Electricity Authority are other options. But the government needs to fix the required beds, equipment and other facilities fast,” Pandey told the Post.
"Definitely, the risk will increase, but we cannot say we should not bring Nepalis back just because we lack facilities. We need to set up facilities here and evacuate Nepalis from the disease-hit country.”
Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus outbreak
UPDATED as of September 22, 2020
What is Covid-19? Covid-19, short for coronavirus disease, is an illness caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, short for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Common symptoms of the disease include fever, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
How contagious is Covid-19? Covid-19 can spread easily from person to person, especially in enclosed spaces. The virus can travel through the air in respiratory droplets produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. As the virus can also survive on plastic and steel surfaces for up to 72 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours, any contact with such surfaces can also spread the virus. Symptoms take between two to 14 days to appear, during which time the carrier is believed to be contagious.
Where did the virus come from? The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in late December. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that is responsible for everything from the common cold to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). After an initial outbreak in Wuhan that spread across Hubei province, eventually infecting over 80,000 and killing more than 3,000, new infection rates in mainland China have dropped. However, the disease has since spread across the world at an alarming rate.
What is the current status of Covid-19?
The World Health Organisation has called the ongoing outbreak a “pandemic” and urged countries across the world to take precautionary measures. Covid-19 has spread to 213 countries and territoriesaround the world and infected more than 31,405,983 people with 967,505 deaths and 22,990,260 recoveries. In South Asia, India has reported the highest number of infections at 5,557,573 with 88,943 deaths. While Pakistan has reported 306,304 confirmed cases with 6,420 deaths. Nepal has so far reported 65,276 cases with 427 deaths.
How dangerous is the disease?
The mortality rate for Covid-19 is estimated to be 3.6 percent, but new studies have put the rate slightly higher at 5.7 percent. Although Covid-19 is not too dangerous to young healthy people, older individuals and those with immune-compromised systems are at greater risk of death. People with chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, or those who’ve recently undergone serious medical procedures, are also at risk.
How do I keep myself safe? The WHO advises that the most important thing you can do is wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol content. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands. Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces like your computers and phones. Avoid large crowds of people. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist for longer than a few days.
Is it time to panic?
No. The government has imposed a lockdown to limit the spread of the virus. There is no need to begin stockpiling food, cooking gas or hand sanitizers. However, it is always prudent to take sensible precautions like the ones identified above.
Arjun Poudel is a health reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Before joining the Post, he worked for Sagarmatha Television, Naya Patrika, Republica and The Himalayan Times.
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