As Cases Surge and Hospitals Fill Up, Doctors Are Worried
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WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 66 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 39.9 C 5.5 C Sunday, April 25, 2021 | 12-01-2078 Nepalgunj Jomsom As cases surge and hospitals fill up, doctors are worried With only seriously ill cases coming for treatment, doctors say that the virus is much more widespread than daily infection data shows and the next two months will be critical. Daily new confirmed Covid-19 deaths and active cases SOURCE: MINISTRY OF HEALTH The number of active cases may be lower than the number of actual cases due to limited testing and the actual death toll is also likely to be higher than the confirmed deaths due to problems in the attribution of the cause of death, according to experts. POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA Members of Nepal national cricket team celebrate after taking a wicket against the Netherlands in their Tri-Nation T20 International Series final ARJUN POUDEL about the possible worst-case scenar- are in need of ventilator support. at the Tribhuvan University cricket ground in Kirtipur on Saturday. The hosts thrashed the Dutch by 142 runs after setting a target of 239 runs KATHMANDU, APRIL 24 io,” Dr Ravi Shakya, director at the “Last year too the recovery after to register their highest run-margin victory in a T20I match. (Report on page 7) hospital, told the Post. “We too do not ventilator support was very rare but On Friday, Patan Hospital held a meet- have answers about what to do if such this time no one has recovered after ing of doctors and administrators to a situation emerges.” being given such support,” said discuss the growing surge of the coro- Of the 21 intensive care unit beds Shakya. “Ventilators become free only navirus cases and the possible scenar- and 17 ventilators at Patan Hospital in after patients placed on them expire.” INSIDE io in the coming days. Lalitpur, all are occupied with the Given the growing number of Amid fears of oxygen Doctors at the hospital were wor- seriously ailing patients infected with Covid-19 patients being admitted, the ried about themselves getting infected Covid-19. Even beds with high flow of hospital, which had allocated 60 gener- and if they and their family members oxygen are occupied. al beds for the infected patients, has People ignoring social would get intensive care unit beds and And what is alarming is no patient already expanded capacity three fold distancing measures despite ventilator support if the need arose. put on ventilator support has recov- to 180 beds in recent weeks. spike in infections shortage, government “We doctors too are very worried ered this year and even young patients >> Continued on page 2 KATHMANDU: On Saturday morning, Ram Kumar Shrestha’s meat shop was filled with customers. But only a talks to suppliers few were wearing masks while social distancing was completely ignored. Shrestha who has been running the Manufacturers say production is sufficient but supply meat shop at Kageshwari Manahara-7, Kathmandu for the past could be disrupted if hospitals start hoarding oxygen. eight years, said that in the beginning when his shop reopened after months To increase capacity, more cylinders need to be imported. of lockdown, he followed the govern- ment order to ensure social distanc- ing. He painted red circles on the floor outside the shop for the custom- ers to wait their turn and avoid crowding. “People did follow the queue system in the beginning as many were in fear of contracting the virus , but now most people seem to have lost the fear, so they cause a crowd at the shop,” Shrestha told the Post. (Details on Pg 2) Committee questions ministry over delay in scrapping expressway contractor selection process KATHMANDU: The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has sought clarification from the Ministry of PHOTO COURTESY: MEDIOXY.COM.NP Defence on why the Nepal Army Oxygen manufacturers say it would be difficult for them to increase production immediately. hasn’t followed the committee’s direc- tive to scrap the bidding process for PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA would be difficult for them to increase the second phase of the construction KATHMANDU, APRIL 24 production immediately. of tunnels and bridges along the “Had the government asked a few Kathmandu-Tarai expressway. The It was only on Thursday after the hos- months ago to increase our capacity, parliamentary committee on April 1 pitals in Kathmandu Valley started we could have taken steps towards it,” had directed the army, through the worrying about a possible shortage of said Gaurav Sharda, president of the Defence Ministry, to scrap the bidding oxygen that the Ministry of Health association. “But the government process after it found a serious and Population invited the Nepal never consulted us during the entire non-compliance of the existing law in Oxygen Industry Association to dis- pandemic period.” the pre-qualification process for the cuss the situation. Oxygen manufacturers, however, selection of contractors for the con- Amid death toll skyrocketing in say that they are, for the moment, in a struction of two tunnels and several India due to the lack of oxygen for position to supply more oxygen to bridges totalling 2.77 kilometres. Covid-19 patients, Nepali authorities Kathmandu’s hospitals. However, the army, which is under- have finally woken up to the need to According to the association, which taking the construction, is continuing ensure the supply of oxygen. represents eight oxygen plants in the the selection process saying it hasn’t “It was the first time the govern- Kathmandu Valley, currently the heard anything from the line minis- ment invited us for consultations demand for oxygen per day is around try. Roj Nath Pandey, secretary at the since the pandemic began last year,” 4,500 to 5,000 cylinders and their exist- committee which oversees public said Narayan Timilsina, general sec- ing production capacity is 8,000 cylin- spending, said they wrote to the min- retary of the association, who attend- ders per day. istry on Thursday seeking informa- ed the meeting. “The government was Although capacity of cylinders dif- tion within seven days on the pro- concerned about the availability of fer, those used in hospitals hold seven gress in implementing the committee oxygen.” cubic metres of oxygen and require- directive. (Details on Pg 3) Since oxygen levels go down in seri- ments differ from patient to patient. ously ill Covid-19 patients, giving About 30 percent of the total them supplemental oxygen till they demand comes from various business- One billion Covid jabs: A recover can save lives, according to es and the rest from hospitals, accord- doctors. And as caseloads continue to ing to the association. pin-prick of hope for humanity surge, increasing production of oxy- “We can also divert oxygen going to PARIS: On December 8, 90-year-old gen is the first line of defence against businesses to hospitals which will also British woman Margaret Keenan, the illness. help bridge the supply gap,” said resplendent in her Christmas T-shirt, But, oxygen manufacturers say it Sharda. He, however, said soon it received the Western world’s first could be difficult for them to Covid vaccination—a chink of light meet the demand as hospitals at the end of the tunnel for humanity and business have already start- after a devastating pandemic year. Six ed hoarding oxygen. months on, nearly one billion Covid “Fearing oxygen shortage, the jabs—both first and second shots— hospitals have started placing have been administered globally, higher demands than usual. according to AFP’s database. The That’s why, when we supply to unprecedented inoculation drive is one hospital, we struggle to seen as the world’s ticket out of the meet the demand of another,” coronavirus disaster, despite con- said Timilsina, who is chairper- cerns about rare side effects, worries son of Sagarmatha Oxygen over supply, and a glaring inequality Nepal Pvt Ltd. between rich and poor. (Details on Pg 6) >> Continued on page 2 C M Y K SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL People ignoring social distancing Lax health security measures despite spike in infections checks at Darchula When government officials and politicians themselves have been organising functions and rallies in defiance of border points Covid-19 restrictions, ordinary people have stopped taking precautions, experts say. There is no official record of entries through five of the SHUVAM DHUNGANA sultant psychiatrist, people’s under- six border points in Darchula. KATHMANDU, APRIL 24 standing of the virus has changed. “In the beginning after all that news on MANOJ BADU tests have been conducted. Out of On Saturday morning, Ram Kumar the traditional media and social media DARCHULA, APRIL 24 them, only one individual showed Shrestha’s meat shop was filled with people thought the virus was very symptoms of Covid-19. The patient customers. But only a few were wear- dangerous, but later when they saw The flow of Nepali migrant workers has been admitted to the District ing masks while social distancing was people catching the virus and recover- returning to Darchula from Indian Hospital for treatment.” completely ignored. ing without serious illness, their atti- cities has increased in the past few The local people say that although Shrestha who has been running the tude towards the virus has changed,” weeks, according to the District Police the official data reflects a low number meat shop at Kageshwari Manahara-7, Pokharel said. Office in Darchula. However, out of of positive cases, returnees entering Kathmandu for the past eight years, “In the beginning, people followed the six Nepal-India border points in Darchula by crossing the Mahakali said that in the beginning when his restrictions in fear of getting the district, only Pulghat border point river on tuins and tyre tubes have not shop reopened after months of lock- the virus but over time they have lost in Khalanga, the district headquar- been accounted for.