Lokendra Kathayat, a health assistant at Sujung Hospital in Doti, has been mobilised to a health desk set up by the district administration in Pipalla Bazaar to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.

Kathayat’s job entails disseminating information about the virus, which causes Covid-19, the ways to prevent it, and what measures to take if someone has symptoms akin to that of Covid-19 patients. He does not offer any other medical services to the people because he is the only person manning the health desk, which lacks the necessary equipment to screen the people.

The District Administration Office has also established such health desks at Silgadhi, Mauwa and Budar. These health desks, too, are understaffed and underequipped to screen the people for possible coronavirus infection.

According to Kathayat, only a few people seek services at the health desk.

“I even tried walking up to the people travelling in public vehicles to inform them about coronavirus and Covid-19, but they were not concerned. I have been deployed here alone and no one is listening to me,” Kathayat lamented.

He suggests that the local administration provide health professionals and equipment to the health desks and make the screening for fever and other symptoms compulsory.
The health desks will mean nothing unless they start screening the people for possible Covid-19.

“This initiative taken by the local administration is half-baked. There should be at least five health workers at every health desk,” said Nawaraj Joshi, a resident of Dipayal.

Chief District Officer Tek Narayan Paudel said the local administration had established the health desks only to raise awareness about coronavirus.

“It’s not practical to screen every passenger travelling in public vehicles. For the time being, we have started to raise awareness about the virus through these health desks,” he said.

In Kailali, too, preventive measures against Covid-19 have been sluggish.

Most of the health posts and primary health centres in rural areas are yet to come up with coronavirus contingency plans. Public awareness about the disease, particularly in rural areas, is low.

But not all districts in Sudurpaschim Province have been slow to take preventive measures against coronavirus outbreak.

In Bajhang, for instance, the local administration has instructed the medical facilities and health professionals to remain alert for the possible spread of the viral disease. It has also established health desks at Syadi, the Nepal-India border point, Dhuli, Simkhet Bus Park, and the District Hospital to screen passengers and raise public awareness about Covid-19.
Similarly, the local administration in Achham has also established health desks at Chaukhutte Bazaar, Sanfebagar Airport and Belkhet. The District Health Office has deployed two health workers in each health desk, Jhanakraj Dhungana, chief of Achham Health Office, said.

The health desks were set up to screen the people returning from India because of coronavirus pandemic.

“Many Nepali migrant workers are returning home from various Indian cities these days. This has increased the risk of coronavirus spread here,” Dhungana said.

(Basanta Pratap Singh in Bajhang, Menuka Dhungana in Achham and Ganesh Chaudhary from Tikapur contributed reporting.)