NA teams deployed in Nepal’s COVID-19 risk zones to collect over 5,000 samples

KATHMANDU: Health teams of Nepal Army (NA) have been mobilized to collect over 5,000 nasal and throat swabs of the suspected ones.

The health teams equipped with necessary medical appliances have been sent to Province-1, Province-2, Gandaki Province and Province-5 on Friday. The COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre at Nepal Army’s Chhauni Barrack coordinated for it.

The team comprises trained persons from Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and the one from the Ministry of Health.

So far, the teams have already collected 400 samples, said Health Ministry’s Spokesperson Bikash Devkota at a press briefing on Saturday.

The swabs would be collected from Udayapur, Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Nawalparasi East, Nawalparasi West, Arghakhanchi, Rupandehi, Gulmi, Kapilvastu, Pyuthan, Dang, Banke and Bardiya, the places at high risk of COVID-19.

So far 109 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the country, many of them belonging to these districts.

The team will collect the swab by May 10 and will send it to the lab for the test, according to the Ministry.