By Siraj Khan, Nepalgunj, Apr. 14:  COVID-19 testing has not begun in State 5 even though three days have passed since the installation of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Machine at Bheri Hospital, Nepalgunj.

The machine, along with other equipment like the bio-safety chamber, incubator and centrifuge, were brought to the hospital as per the State 5 government’s decision to establish a COVID-19 testing lab there.

“However, the hospital has not been able to begin testing swab samples because the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) has not yet provided the necessary chemical reagents and kits,” said Dr. Prakash Bahadur Thapa, head of the Bheri Hospital. “However, they have assured us that they will deliver these products as soon as possible.”

The Bheri Hospital has been facing a lot of public pressure to begin the testing service; however, it has not yet been able to do so.

In absence of a testing facility in the district, the swab samples of Banke are currently sent to Bhairahawa for confirmation, according to District Public Health Office, Banke.

The Office also said that a team of expert technicians would arrive here from Kathmandu with the reagents and kits within a couple of days.

The federal government had previously decided to set up coronavirus testing labs at Dharan, Pokhara and Nepalgunj, but later chose to shift Nepalgunj’s lab to Bhairahawa.

This caused a huge uproar in Banke and Bardiya after which the State government declared it would set up testing facilities in Nepalgunj,
Dang and Butwal.

“Banke is a very vulnerable district, which is why the people want a testing lab to be established here immediately,” said Krishna Prasad Shrestha, coordinator of Civil Society, Banke. “The hospital should bring the necessary items from NPHL and start testing at the earliest,” he said.