CHITWAN: The Bharatpur-based BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital has made PCR test mandatory for cancer patients as well.

The hospital said it would initiate cancer treatment of the patients after carrying out PCR test.

The hospital decided to make the coronavirus test mandatory for all cancer survivor patients prior to the treatment in view of rapid transmission of the virus of late.

Executive Director of the hospital Dr Dej Kumar Gautam said providing treatment to coronavirus-infected patients with other patients would accelerate chances for virus transmission to the hospital staff and patients.

He stated it would not be otherwise to initiate cancer treatment only following liberation from coronavirus which normally takes two-week-long medical interventions.

“Since the mortality rate would likely go up by 25 to 35 percent while treating cancer survivors with corona patients, PCR test of the people coming for cancer treatment is a must”, he said.

Those diagnosed with corona infection would only be treated after they test negative for the virus, Dr Gautam maintained.

Likewise, the hospital has enforced a rule of ‘one patient, one caregiver’ to avoid the transmission of virus infection.

As many as 42 health workers and staff of the hospital have been so far diagnosed with coronavirus infection. Seven among them have recovered.

Normally the hospital has been providing cancer treatment service to 700-800 patients daily but now only one-fourth of the number are visiting the hospital for treatment, the hospital administration said.