The province 1 government in coordination with the district coronavirus infection control, monitoring and coordination committee in Jhapa has proposed to set up a coronavirus-specific hospital in the under-construction building of Mechi Hospital in Bhadrapur. However, the locals and their representatives have opposed the decision, fearing coronavirus transmission in the local community.

The locals of Bhadrapur Municipality Ward 5 and 8 say establishing a coronavirus-specific hospital in the under-construction building will expose them to the risk of contracting the disease.

The proposed hospital building is close to the Mechi Hospital in Bhadrapur-8..

A committee, comprising the people’s representatives of the two wards, has been formed to exert pressure on the province government to withdraw its decision.

“We have been asking the concerned authorities to not set up a Covid-19 hospital in the proposed site since it is located in the middle of a dense settlement. Service seekers will be deprived of medical services from the only government hospital (Mechi Hospital) in the district if the government went ahead with its plan,” said Bandhu Karki, chairman of Ward No 5. “There is a maternity ward, tuberculosis treatment centre and outpatient department within the periphery of 50 metres of the proposed Covid-19 hospital. How can other patients get services from there? The decision of establishing a corona hospital in Jhapa is praiseworthy. But the choice of its location is not suitable,” argued Karki.

Manoj Subba, chief of Ward No 8, said the authorities should choose another location to treat the Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, Somnath Portel, coordinator of the district’s coronavirus infection control committee, said that the proposed location was the most suitable location for building a coronavirus-specific hospital in the district.

“The argument that coronavirus will be spread from the hospital is baseless. The proposed building has enough physical infrastructure required for a coronavirus-specific hospital. No other building in the district has such facilities. We chose the place after inspecting possible other places available,” said Portel.

Portel said the plan was to set up a 100-bed hospital with 10 ventilators.

A polymerase chain reaction laboratory will also be set up at the training hall of the District Health Office near Mechi Hospital.

“We plan to complete the Covid-19 hospital with a PCR lab by mid-June,” Portel said.

As many as 37 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in four different local units of Jhapa as of Monday evening.