KATHMANDU, Oct 19: The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has urged the government to be sensitive and save the public from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring free PCR tests and treatment to COVID-19 patients.
In a statement issued by NC’s Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma on Monday, NC maintained that it is the duty of the government to consider increasing investment in the health sector and make efforts relating to COVID-19 response so as to protect the people from the infection.
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Terming the government’s decision not to bear the test and treatment expenses of COVID-19 patients as a very irresponsible act, the NC hit out, “By refraining from taking the responsibility of the expenses of the test and treatment of COVID-19 patients, the government seems to end the illusion that there is any government in the country.”
According to NC, the government’s tendency not to obey the Supreme Court’s recent order to conduct free PCR tests for the COVID-19 suspected and infected persons had raised a question about the accountability of the government. “To whom the government pays heed when it is not paying attention to the public, media, opposition parties and court?”
“The government cannot afford to refrain from the responsibility of providing free treatment to the infected persons as assured in the legal provision.”
The NC has also taken a jibe at the government by saying that the latter’s ‘inconsistent and incoherent’ policies of not ensuring community level isolation facilities, adequate COVID-19 hospitals, ventilators, and its inability to curb the black marketeering of antiviral drug Remdesivir and manage dead bodies of COVID-19 patients had raised serious questions about the government’s existence.
