The Province 1 government has announced to provide Rs 5 million to the families of the medics and other frontline workers who die on duty while providing treatment to the coronavirus infected patients.

The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday decided to provide the amount to the families of health workers, security personnel, ambulance drivers, employees of local units and other individuals deployed in the fight against Covid-19, Internal Affairs and Law Minister Hikmat Bahadur Karki said.

“The government also decided to provide encouragement allowance to the health workers mobilised under the provincial government and its subordinate units,” Karki, , who is also the spokesperson for Province 1 government, said

Province 1 has not reported any Covid-19 case so far.

The tests of swabs collected from suspicious patients in the province are being conducted at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences.

As of Tuesday, 85 of the 90 swab samples had tested negative for the coronavirus while the results of the remaining five samples had not come out.

Meanwhile, the Province 5 government has dismissed five doctors at Butwal-based Lumbini Provincial Hospital for not reporting to work in times of public health emergency.

Dr Rajendra Prasad Khanal, the medical superintendent at the hospital, said Dr Tara Prasad Sharma, Dr Baradan Oli, Dr Prakash Neupane, Dr Subas Chandra Chaudhary and Dr Prakriti Karki were relieved of their duty for taking leave without informing the hospital in the time of crisis.

“The government will terminate health employees who refuse to report on duty during the pandemic. I have also instructed the health institutions to not grant any leave to their staff, except for maternity, mourning and sick leaves for the time being,” Social Development Minister Sudarshan Baral said.

(Amrita Anmol contributed reporting from Butwal)