Medicosnext
On the morning of February 16, 2020, a team led by consultant microbiologist and infectious disease specialist Dr. Ranjit Sah visited the quarantine facility in Kharipati, Bhaktapur, prepared for the 175 Nepalis who were evacuated from China in the aftermath of the coronavirus epidemic.
After being stranded in Hubei, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, for a month, the Nepali government had brought them home. The evacuees were directly taken to Nepal Electricity Authority Training Center in Bhaktapur that had been converted into a quarantine facility.
The morning after their arrival, the team visited them to take throat and nasal samples, despite the high-risk of infection. They collected the samples of 175 people in 4 hours, following the international guidelines.
The team arrived at the site with personal protective equipment (PPE). They had been trained on how to wear and take off their suits a week prior to the arrival of the Nepali students.
Photos Courtesy: NPHL
The team who visited the quarantine facility comprised of Dr. Bimalesh Jha, virologist, National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL),Teku, Kathmandu; Dr. Mahesh Adhikari, consultant microbiologist; Tribhuwan Prasad Shah, medical lab technician inspector; Sunil Dongol, medical lab technician; Sweety Upadhaya, microbiologist; Smriti Shrestha, microbiologist; Awina Ojha, lab assistant, Binita Maharjan, lab technician, and Arjun Chaudhary. Dr. Runa Jha, Director, NPHL, helped in coordinating between the team members.
