After India, Nepal at risk of Covid crisis

Two out of every five people being tested in Nepal are testing positive for the virus leading to the healthcare system in the south Asian nation coming under severe pressure as hospitals reach their limits. On Thursday, Nepal had 9,070 positive cases, an unmitigated rise from the almost 300 cases reported just a month ago.

Talking to Associated Press, Jyotindra Sharma, Chief of one of the largets hospitals in Katmandu, said, “Right now there are no beds available in any hospital that is treating Covid. There is a huge scarcity of oxygen and we are not at the peak of the crisis yet.”

The only way to get admitted in most hospitals is through a waiting list. Extra beds have been crammed into facilities, yet space has run out.

This week Nepal stopped fling domestic and international flights, while major urban centers and some towns have been put under lockdown.

Nepal launched its vaccination campaign with much fanfare in January, however, since then inoculation has been an uphill battle with orders from India being delayed. Among Nepal’s population of 30 million, only 2.4 million have been given the vaccine so far, with an even smaller number receiving both shots.

Critics have blamed the government for not taking heed from India, as religious gatherings, political rallies and weddings were allowed even though horrifying news from next door had alerted the experts. Nepalese also attended India’s religious gathering, Kumbh Mela, in large numbers, stoking fears that the Indian variant has made its way back with the pilgrims.

Health officials also repeatedly warned the country about setting up quarantine and isolation centers for citizens returning from India, however, the advice fell on deaf ears.

Nepal has now banned Indians from using Katmandu airport. Observers fear that the step may have come too late.