The Karnali government’s decision to build isolation wards in three hospitals in Surkhet, Jumla and Rukum (West) is yet to be implemented, as the hospitals lack the funds to set up the facilities to test and treat Covid-19 patients.

On March 26, the provincial government had announced to establish Covid-19 isolation wards at Karnali Provincial Hospital in Surkhet, Karnali Academy of Health Sciences in Jumla and Chaurjahari Hospital in Rukum (West).

“The funds allocated by the provincial government is not enough to set up an isolation ward,” Bishwaraj Kafle, of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, told the Post.

Kafle said there was also confusion regarding the utilisation of funds.

The provincial government had allocated Rs 10 million but under a different heading, causing confusion among the officials whether they should utilise the entire funds for Covid-19 preparedness and response.

“The funds remain unused with the District Disaster Management Committee,” Kafle added.

The academy is equipped with a Biosafety Level 2 Laboratory to conduct tests for common pathogens, but to run tests for the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, it should install a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine.

Kafle said the academy’s hospital needed a PCR machine to conduct Covid-19 tests and a couple of ventilators to treat patients.

Meanwhile, Churjahari Hospital in Rukum (West) has not yet received the funds allocated by the provincial government to set up an isolation ward. The government had issued Rs 5 million to the hospital.

Dil Bahadur Giri, chief administrative officer at the hospital, told the Post that the hospital management was preparing to set up a 20-bed isolation hospital in a community school building and a four-bed isolation ward in the hospital.

“Since we haven’t received the funds yet, we are buying the necessary equipment and resources on credit. So far, we have managed equipment worth Rs 1 million, but they are not enough. We are still not prepared to test and treat Covid-19 patients,” Giri said.

He urged the authorities concerned to release the funds immediately.

At Karnali Provincial Hospital in Birendranagar, Surkhet, works to set up an isolation facility have been hit by the ongoing lockdown.

“We have already started the tender process for the procurement of ventilators and other ICU equipment, but the lockdown has affected the supply,” Dr Dambar Khadka, medical superintendent at the hospital, told the Post.

The hospital, which has two ventilators and four ICU beds, is planning to add four more ventilators and 10 ICU beds. Khadka said the hospital has already purchased equipment worth Rs 5 million for its isolation facility.

Khadka said the hospital started running Covid-19 tests from Thursday and had carried out 23 swabs tests for coronavirus infection as of Saturday. All test results were negative.

The provincial government has said that it would soon hold discussions and allocate the funds necessary to set up isolation facilities in the three hospitals.

“The government is not indifferent towards the problem. We will hold a meeting soon and provide the necessary support to manage the isolation wards,” Bimala KC, minister for land management, agriculture and cooperatives, told the Post.

KC also leads the committee formed by the provincial government to set up and manage isolation wards for Covid-19 patients.

The federal and provincial governments have allocated Rs 26.2 million to the provincial hospital to set up a laboratory for Covid-19 test and expand other health facilities.