The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has requested the Ministry of Health and Population to allocate Rs 10 million, which it needs to pay the personnel working in the coronavirus front line as risk allowance.
Health and technical workers serving in risky zones have not received their allowance for the past four months.
The Health Ministry had committed to providing a risk allowance equivalent to the salary of health workers—doctors, nurses and lab technicians involved in treatment and tests of patients infected with the coronavirus. Other staff deployed in contact tracing and care of Covid-19 patients were also supposed to get 50 percent of their salary as risk allowance.
“Neither the administrative staff, nor technical staff—doctors, nurses and lab technicians—have got the risk allowance as of now,” Lila Bikram Thapa, a senior public health administrator at the division, told the Post on Wednesday.
“It’s been very difficult for us to deploy our staff in the field, due to our inability to provide the risk allowance as committed by the government.”
The division has to deploy its officials throughout the country to coordinate with focal agencies under the three tiers of government—federal, provincial and local—to control the spread of Covid-19 and treat cases. Their job includes training health workers, inspection and management of treatment facilities, contact tracing and formulation of guidelines and work procedures. “Without providing the risk allowance, it will be difficult for us to mobilise our staff,” said Thapa.
Health workers serving under the division have been asked to manage their own expenses with the promise of reimbursement, but the Health Ministry has not released the funds to reimburse the workers so far.
“We have been attending to Covid-19 patients by risking our own lives and that of our families. But even after four months, we have not received the risk allowance committed by the government,” a paramedic at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku, Kathmandu, complained.
According to the Health Ministry, over 120 health workers, including doctors and nurses, serving at various Covid-19 treatment facilities have been infected with the coronavirus so far.
“We have asked all hospitals and concerned offices to send the details of health workers deployed for the treatment of Covid patients,” Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, deputy spokesperson for the Health Ministry, told the Post.
“The risk allowances will be reimbursed from the Covid fund, which can be used even after the end of the fiscal year.”
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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