Most Lumbini hospitals full, demand for alternative arrangements
RUPANDEHI: Hospitals in Lumbini are overflowing with COVID infected patients. As hospital beds are full, the hospital administration and doctors have demanded alternative arrangements.
The infection has spread highly in four districts of Lumbini. Infections of complex natures are being added in Banke, Rupandehi, Dang and Bardiya every day.
According to Dr. Binod Giri, Director of Lumbini Province Health Directorate, out of 34,128 infected people in the Province so far, 27,841 have been cured. At present, 21 people are being treated in ventilators, 181 in ICU and 774 in isolation. Many patients are awaiting ICU beds.
According to the Health Directorate, 5,574 of the infected are living in home isolation. In Lumbini, 492 people have died from the infection so far.
There are four COVID Special Isolation Hospitals in Lumbini with 192 beds. There are 8 other isolation hospitals with 334 beds. Similarly, 183 beds have been managed in 8 isolation centers. There are more patients than the total number of beds, 709, which is challenging to manage.
As many as 2,500 are infected in Banke of Lumbini Province as of Monday night, while 89 people inside the district and 109 outside the district died while undergoing treatment.
Nepalgunj sub-metropolis has become the most affected area in Banke. Bheri Hospital and Kohalpur Medical College in Banke are serving as COVID Special Hospitals.
Similarly, Rupandehi has become the second-most affected district with 1400 active infections. The beds at the two COVID Special Hospital in Rupandehi are full of patients.
Lockdown in Banke and Bardiya, Odd-even system in Rupandehi
In areas and districts that have become hotspots for the infection, local administrations have begun to lockdown and impose restrictions as needed.
Lockdown has been declared in Banke and Bardiya of Lumbini Province for one week from Monday night. The administration said that the number of infected patients was increasing and there is a shortage of wards in hospitals for treatment. The COVID Crisis Management Center, which sat for a meeting on Sunday, had put forward an alternative to impose a lockdown in districts with more than 500 active infections.
Odd-even vehicle systems have been implemented in Rupandehi from Tuesday to reduce traffic congestion.
Ban on Swargadwari visit
District COVID-19 Crisis Management Center Pyuthan has banned the public from visiting Swargadwari until further notice.
The center said the decision was made to prevent the spread of COVID infection. A meeting of the District Coordination Committee held at Khalanga on Sunday decided to ban devotees and tourism at Swargadwari Ashram apart from regular worship.
Lack of beds in Nawalparasi, problems in treatment
As the number of COVID patients has increased in West Nawalparasi, problems have arisen in treatment in the district since Monday. Most patients visit the hospitals when they need oxygen and the district does not have well-equipped isolation centers with enough oxygen.
Due to lack of beds even in the COVID Special Hospitals in the neighboring district of Rupandehi, patients are forced to stay in district hospitals.
A 40-year-old youth of Ramgram-9, who fell seriously ill with COVID on Monday morning, has been admitted to Prithvi Chandra District Hospital due to lack of beds at facilitated hospitals. According to the hospital, his condition is critical.
The medical superintendent of the district hospital, Dr. Mohammad Nurul Hoda, said that seriously ill patients are being treated at Bhim Hospital in Bhairahawa and COVID Special Hospital in Butwal. It is said that the beds in both the hospitals are unavailable despite the request to arrange and manage beds since Monday morning.
The number of COVID infections has been increasing daily in the Ramgram Municipality area for the last 15 days and only three people have died due to COVID infection in Ramgram during this period.
