897 tests conducted in last 24 hours, no positive case: Health Ministry

Kathmandu / Apr. 11: The Ministry of Health and Population has stated that no positive case of COVID-19 was recorded in the last 24 hours.

“897 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, where none of the suspects tested positive for COVID-19,” informed Dr. Bikash Devkota, spokesperson of the Ministry today.

In the daily briefing of the Ministry, Dr. Devkota said, ” 609 tests were conducted in Kathmandu while 288 tests were conducted outside the Kathmandu valley.”

He said that the scope of test was expanded and 4,426 tests in total were conducted until now.

Likewise, the throat swab tests for COVID-19 will also be carried out in the Bir Hospital and the Shukraraaj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku, from Saturday, informed the ministry.

Teku Hospital says COVID-19 patients likely to get discharged within a few days

The Teku-based Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Control Hospital is planning to discharge COVID-19 patients in a few days.

As Hospital Director Dr. Sagar Rajbhandari said, two patients would be getting discharge within the next few days and the health condition of the infected is normal now. ”We are waiting for their final test report and if the reports come negative, they will be sent homes.”

Nine people suspected of contracting the virus were admitted to the hospital and the two were tested positive and the reports of the remaining seven tested negative. However, the seven are still required to stay in the hospital due to several reasons.

At present, the Hospital faces no shortage of workforce and medical equipment necessary in the treatment of COVID-19. The Hospital has been declared the COVID Dedicated Hospital and it has been witnessing a relatively lower flow of patients during the lockdown.

Patients of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases have been referred to other health facilities, according to Dr. Rajbhandari. However, the Hospital continues the rabies vaccination schedule amidst the crisis. These days, some 70 people visited the hospital for rabies vaccination. The Hospital has five isolation wards and 30 quarantine chambers.

Preparations for establishing 25 isolation and 20 ICU rooms are going on. The ICU rooms will have an oxygen plant facility. It was the first hospital across the country which first had started COVID-19 test and treatment.

The first patient who had returned home from Wuhan, China: the epicenter of coronavirus has been already cured.