Karnali : The Karnali province government has decided to set up Covid-19 hospitals in seven districts and the corona treatment centres at all local levels. A meeting of the Province Disaster Management Center held under the chair of Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi decided to establish ICU facility in Jumla, Surkhet and at Chaurjahari of Rukum East.

Spokesperson for the province Government and minister for land management, agriculture and cooperatives Bimala KC said the government was aware of potential impact of the outbreak of a second wave of coronavirus in India and was geared up to mitigate the risk. “Nepali migrant workers have started returning home from India,’’ KC said adding that Karnali Province Police Office has been asked to play a coordinating role for keeping details: contact number and address of the returnees from India.

Similarly, the social development ministry has decided to operate a hotline to exchange information about Covid-19 infections. Other decisions of the meeting include respective Chief District Officers will urge public bus entrepreneurs to make masks mandatory for passengers and take other safety measures during travels, the social development ministry will disseminate information about safety measures and people with symptoms of Covid-19 upon arrival on the transit points will be made to stay in home isolation.

Moreover, the meeting decided to urge the federal government to ensure enough supply of anti-Covid vaccines for the province residents and if not, the province government will make efforts to get vaccines on its own. The social development ministry is to prepare plans for other internal managements, required budget and mobilization of existing health workforce to undertake preventive and mitigating efforts. The ministry, public health directorate and security bodies will soon sit for a meeting to take necessary decisions to respond to the situation, it is said.