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Kathmandu, July 5
The National Human Rights Commission has urged the Government of Nepal to guarantee the right to health to every citizen amid the spike in COVID-19 cases and fatalities in the country.
Issuing a press release today, the rights body expressed grave concern regarding the finding of traces of SARS-Cov-2 in drainage water of Kathmandu valley during laboratory test of samples and said it could be an indication that the urban area had already experienced community transmission of COVID-19 as opined by scientists and researchers.
The NHRC also renewed its call on the government to opt for mass PCR testing for early detection of the disease across the country.
&Discovery of coronavirus in drainage water necessitates that the government maintain more vigilance against the infectious disease and speed up PRC tests, the most reliable testing method,& read the release.
It may be recalled that the NHRC had repeatedly urged the government to expand the coverage of PCR testing and improve the condition of quarantine facilities.
&The failure of the government to pay proper attention to this request may have contributed to community transmission of the deadly virus,& read the release.
Though the rate of RDT test is higher than PCR, the former is not reliable.
Only the test using the PCR method can confirm whether a person is infected with the virus.
&We would like to yet again urge the government to respond to the situation effectively in a densely populated urban area like Kathmandu valley for prevention of community transmission of the contagion by adopting preventive and control measures,& it added.
The rights body has also warned the authorities against restricting citizens& fundamental rights in quarantine facilities.
&Contrary to the standard set by the government and World Health Organisation, quarantined persons don&t have access to adequate nutritious food, drinking water, toilet, proper shelter and health care facility,& the rights body stated citing its monitoring report.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 6, 2020, of The Himalayan Times. The post Govt urged to guarantee citizens& right to health appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
