By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 13: The government said on Sunday that its first priority was to import personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the doctors and health workers involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the coronavirus patients.
“The government under the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre-Operation (CCMC-Ops) has set three priorities. The first is to import the medical goods from the government to government (G2G) modality,” Joint-Secretary and spokesperson at the CCMC-Ops Dr Bikash Devkota told the media at a press conference organised Sunday afternoon.
The second priority list of the government is to purchase virus test kits and other equipment from the countries that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had circulated the letters of interest to purchase the medical goods, said Dr Devkota.
The third priority is to purchase essential drugs related to the treatment of the virus, he said. For purchasing the medical goods from G2G process under the leadership of Nepali Army by taking consent from the Ministry of Defence, and in coordination with the Health Ministry, the government (Foreign Affairs) has already begun the process by writing letters to mainly five countries -- India, China, Singapore, South Korea and Israel -- through Ministry of Foreign Affairs channels, said Dr Devkota.
The government held video conferences with the officials of these countries a few days ago, and discussed about their countries’ position and condition in supplying the goods as per the necessity of Nepal, Dr Devkota said.
According to him, the Department of Health Services (DoHS) under the Ministry of Health had also begun a separate process and had even called a tender for the same to buy the essential medical goods which may be needed immediately.
“We have talked with them according to their ability and condition to supply specific types of medical goods and based upon those discussions, the government will bring prioritised goods, so there is no certainty that the government may buy goods from all these five countries, or may be from only one country,” Dr Devkota said.
As of Saturday, the government has conducted swab test of 3,604 people, mainly from all the districts under Sudurpaschim State, Jumla of Karnali State, and Baglung and Kaski under Gandaki State and the Kathmandu Valley under State 3, Dr Devkota said.
The government has also distributed 5,000 pieces of Rapid Diagnostic Test kits each to all States and begun Polymerase China Reaction (PCR) machines-based test from 13 places of the country.
The CCMC under the leadership of Nepali Army has also imparted training related to donning, doffing and hygiene and sanitation to 26 health workers of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force and COVID-19 friendly ambulance operation training to 40 drivers of the Nepali Army, APF and Nepal Police.
Similarly, the CCMC has prepared 120 isolation beds and six ICU wards at the dedicated COVID-19 Treatment Hospital (at the hospital of APF) in Balambu. It is preparing to install additional 14 ICUs at the same hospital and has prepared 100-bed COVID-19 treatment Hospital at Sukraraj Tropical, Teku, and Patan Hospital as well.
In the Kathmandu Valley, the CCMC has brought into operation 10 COVID-19 friendly ambulances and they can be available to anyone if they dialed at 102, he said.
Meanwhile, since the lockdown came into effect from March 24, the government had imported 37,333 tonnes of foods, 14,053 tonnes of lentils, 21,625 tonnes of vegetables, 5,960 tonnes fruits, 79 tonnes milk-related materials, 22,943 tonnes LPG and readymade drugs worth Rs 560 million and raw materials required for medicines worth Rs 108 million from India.