KAKARVITTA: Though the government has imposed provisions for measuring the body temperature of those entering the country via the Kakarvitta point along the Nepal-India border in Jhapa, lack of a required number of thermal guns has posed a challenge to systematize the screening system.
People entering the country are arranged in a queue to screen their body heat as only one thermometer gun is available for the test.
It may be noted that hundreds of people cross the border each day. At least 10 pistols are required to undertake the screening smoothly, it is said.
According to the Area Police Office, Kakarvitta’s Superintendent of Police Rajendra Pokharel, over 500 people en route to Nepal from India had undergone screening at the entry point on Friday.
Of them, six Indian workers were turned back as their body heat was measured more than the normal range. “They were turned away as they had a fever,” he said.
Fever is one of the major symptoms of coronavirus virus which has been already declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
“We have realized the lack of sufficient means and human resources to handle temperature checks at the border point,” SP Pokharel said.
Senior Citizens’ Association representative Krishna Prasad Upreti said he believed that temperature screening with the help of just a single thermal gun-making people be in a long queue would not help to prevent the infection risk. He demanded tough measures against the spread of COVID-19 even by closing the border.
Mechi Zonal Auto-rickshaw and E-rickshaw Transport Pvt Ltd chair Bibek Limbu, vehicles en route to Nepal from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Siliguri are crossing the border without any intervention or checks, increasing the risk of infection. He advised banning the entry of vehicles from India.
Mechinagar municipality deputy mayor Meena Upreti claimed a screening system has been ensured along with the border point despite limited resources.
”We admit the testing system is not well managed, promising to seek the help of Nepal Army, Nepal Red Cross Society, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and local levels to improve the system.”
She shared that industries had been urged not to hire Indian workers failing to show up their coronavirus health check-up report.
Mechinagar’s Mayor Bimal Acharya underlined the need for further enhancing the screening system along the Nepal-India border and to control non-essential people’s movements. Municipality disaster management committee and executive committees have decided to seek the help of the Nepal Army for essential efforts including upgrading the testing along the border and for the rescue efforts if necessary.
Comment