By Shiva Kumar Kashi, Hetauda, Aug. 16: The Manahari Rural Municipality of Makwanpur is all set to operate isolation center in the ward office of the Rural Municipality.

"The ward office building of Manohari Rural Municipality-8, located near the East-west Highway, has been converted into isolation ward by setting up all the required medical equipment," said Ekraj Upreti, Chairman of the Manohari Rural Municipality.

The building consisting of four big halls and four rooms and the former cooperative building nearby the ward office building has been used to set up an isolation ward for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The ward office has temporarily been shifted to the central building of Mahendrakiran Secondary School nearby, said Dil Bahadur Syangtan, ward chair of Manohari Rural Municipality-8. "For now, the protection of human lives is our first priority. The ward office can be shifted to the building after the end of COVID-19 pandemic," added ward chair Syangtan.

The Rural Municipality Chair, Upreti said, "As the well-facilitated building with the compound is appropriate to set up an isolation center, we decided to shift the ward office for now."

The District Health Office, District Coordination Committee, and other authorities had helped in managing the 20-bedded isolation center.

The COVID-19 infected people of Hetauda were compelled to stay at home due to the absence of isolation ward.  

"As the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests are being expanded in Manohari Rural Municipality, the newly identified COVID-19 patients will be given treatment in the Rural Municipality itself," said Manila Bista, vice-chair of the Rural Municipality.