New isolation centre opens at Pulchok

Kathmandu, May 23

An isolation centre for the COVID-19 patients established by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in Pulchowk of Lalitpur Metropolitan City has come into operation from Sunday.

This is a dry isolation without the facility of oxygen and emergency treatment. The facility is created in coordination with Lalitpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry and in cooperation with Arambha Foundation and Aksheshwor Mahavihar,

Arambha will provide health related services while Mahavihar has provided space for the isolation centre. The centre has 30 beds and more would be added as per the requirement in the days to come, said the business body in a statement.

Patients residing in the centre will get nutritious food and health services free of cost. Medicines required for the centre are provided by the Central Committee Member of the FNCCI Prabal Jung Pandey and Immediate Past Vice-president Umesh Lal Shrestha, masks and sanitisers by member Ananda Bagaria, foods by member Sandip Agrawal (Gadia), and sanitizer and hand washing soap by Pawan Chaudhary.

Likewise, Ballav Sigdel has supported the centre with Dettol soap, toothpaste and toothbrush, and harpic, Ajaya Singh Karki supported drinking water, Sewa Pathak provided internet and Bidushi Rana provided slippers.

The FNCCI said that the centre was established to support people of low-income group and people with COVID-19 without symptoms in order to check the spread of virus.

If any patient in the centre experienced health complexities, the FNCCI will facilitate in taking them to the hospital but the treatment cost should be borne by the patient.

However, it said that in the beginning the centre could not provide service to infected single woman due to some technical and security sensitivity.

President of FNCCI Shekhar Golchha said that the centre would be helpful for the people of lower class.

Prior to this, the FNCCI has established and run isolation centres at Jain Niketan, Kamalpokhari and old Gorakha Hospital building in Kshetrapati. These centres established with the support from Jain Niketan Gyaneshwork and Arambha Foundation, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ward No. 17. They have 50 beds each.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 May 2021.