DHANGADHI: Sudurpaschim Province is facing a serious shortage of Covid test kits, hampering efforts to screen returnees from India at key border checkpoints like Gauriphanta and Gaddachauki.
Despite emerging cases, authorities say they are unable to conduct further testing due to the unavailability of rapid diagnostic kits.
According to Hemraj Joshi, Covid-19 focal person at the Provincial Health Directorate, testing at entry points has been severely limited.
“On Wednesday, three out of 36 individuals tested at the Gauriphanta border were confirmed to be Covid-positive,” Joshi said. “We are currently unable to expand testing due to a shortage of kits. We’ve already requested supplies from the federal and provincial governments.”
The infected individuals include a 20-year-old man from Punarbas (Kanchanpur), a 32-year-old from Dhakari (Achham), and a 24-year-old woman from Dhangadhi (Kailali). Their samples have been sent to the Central Public Health Laboratory in Teku, Kathmandu, for PCR confirmation and variant analysis.
Officials are concerned that the rising number of cases in neighboring India, coupled with open borders, could fuel a resurgence in Nepal.
The Ministry of Health and Population has issued a nationwide alert, urging all hospitals and laboratories to remain on standby. However, health desks at major border points remain ineffective due to a lack of basic testing supplies.
Both Gauriphanta (Kailali) and Gaddachauki (Kanchanpur) are among the busiest entry points connecting Nepal to India. Despite having health desks, these posts are currently unable to conduct screenings due to the shortage.
Even Mahakali Provincial Hospital in Mahendranagar, which has been receiving symptomatic patients, is unable to carry out tests due to the kit scarcity, confirmed hospital spokesperson Shantaprasad Joshi.
Authorities warn that without immediate resupply, the province may be caught unprepared in the event of a larger outbreak.
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