KATHMANDU: Major opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) has demanded with the government to call a special session of parliament so as to hold a serious deliberation on the COVID-19 response system.

The COVID-19 Monitoring Committee of the party has concluded that the humanitarian and economic crisis were looming large in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic and claimed the dismal performance of the government towards responding to the health crisis.

The committee submitted a report prepared after observing the efforts undertaken by the government to contain the COVID-19 and treat the infected ones.

Receiving the report, party president Sher Bahadur Deuba felt sorry for the government for being ignorant of the people’s problems and plights.

The report’s finding would be appraised to the NC’s central committee member, informed NC’s Deputy general-secretary and coordinator of the committee Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat.

Furthermore, the report has stated that the government was unable to arrange adequate ventilators, isolation facilities, and medicines although the cases of coronavirus were increasing alarmingly in the country lately.

The former Prime Minister has opined that the government should call for a special session of the parliament to deliberate on such sensitive issues and bring special programs to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Releasing a press note on Friday, the committee drew the attention of the government to put in place adequate quarantine, isolation, oxygen, ventilators in the healthcare facilities to manage the further risk of the COVID-19.

The government has been further urged to arrange affordable treatment facilities for COVID-19 patients. Also, in view of the nearing festivals, the committee has appealed to the government to provide financial support to the families of COVID-19 victims from the poor communities.