Kathmandu, June 7 : The National Assembly (NA) members have drawn the government's attention for the proper management of quarantine centers so as to save people's lives.    
Speaking in a special hour of the NA session today, Nepal Communist Party (NCP)'s Khimlal Bhattarai said quarantine centers lacked proper management and other basic facilities. ''They are like police detention centers,'' he said, demanding the guarantee of required number of toilets, implementation of social distancing and availability of PCR test, masks, hand sanitiser and mosquito nets in the centers.    
Situation might have come to develop quarantine centers into isolation facilities and additional arrangements were necessary towards that end, he said. He stressed that no citizen should be left to bear hunger during the crisis. As he said, local-level representatives need no order or directions to undertake humanitarian acts. Bhattarai underlined the need of ensuring the right to food to the people in quarantine.    
The government's decision to rescue the Nepali citizens left stranded abroad in the wake of coronavirus pandemic was praiseworthy and the government should leave no stone unturned for their proper management, he added.    
Seeking the government's attention towards the smooth supply of seeds and fertilisers to farmers as the farming season had already begun, the lawmaker demanded special attention to transport dairy products, vegetables and fruits to the market.    
He took time to draw the attention of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to make arrangements for conducting SEE and 10+2 board exams put off due to coronavirus lockdown from the respective home centers.    
PCR test underscored    
NCP’s Chakra Prasad Snehi drew the attention of government towards employing PCR procedure for conducting COVID-19 test on the people, indicating towards the unreliability of RDT procedure.    
According to him, more than 500 persons had contracted the deadly infection in Sudurpaschim State while conducting COVID-19 test through RDT procedure.    
He also demanded with the government to install a ventilator in the Dadheldhura district.    
Likewise, Nepali Congress (NC) Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi criticized the poor management of the quarantine facilities in many places across the country. He also brought to the knowledge of the government about the cases where the COVID-19 suspected or infected people in quarantine were found leaving the quarantine facilities at night and would only stay there at noon.    
“COVID-19 infection has spread across 68 of 77 districts in the country. The government is still taking it lightly. The government must be serious towards saving lives of people,” Rayamajhi said, drawing attention of the government towards the black marketeering of PPE and safety gears as mask, shortage of medical appliances.    
NC’s Taradevi Bhatta urged the government to streamline quarantine facilities in Sudurpaschim State. She also suggested extension of the scope of PCR tests.    
Rastriya Janata Party’s Mrigendra Kumar Singh echoed with Bhatta and said that it was important to expand the scope of PCR tests to save people from COVID-19 infections. He questioned, “Where did the government spend Rs 10 million? Thirteen people have died of COVID-19 in the country but a large number of people were likely to succumb to starvation.”    
Samajbadi Party’s Pramila Kumari and NCP’s Ram Lakhan Chamar, Jivan Buda and Ram Narayan Bidari also pressed for further managing the quarantine facilities across the country.