Bheri Hospital lab begins coronavirus test

Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj has begun testing coronavirus today with the installation of real timer polymer chain reaction (RTPCR) machine on Saturday.  

Officiating chief of the Hospital Dr Pakash Thapa informed that although the test was begun on Saturday itself, the sample collection for test in RTPCR machine began today.  

For the installation and test, a team from the National Public Health Laboratory, Kathmandu, had arrived in Nepalgunj on Friday. The team had brought the reagent chemical.  

The reagent chemical needed for blood test was brought from Kathmandu as it was not available here. The corona test laboratory was set up at Bheri Hospital targeting the test on the people from Banke and Bardiya districts.  

With the operation of the laboratory here, the compulsion to send samples to Bhairahawa and Kathmandu for test has ended. Some 100 sample tests can be conducted with RTPCR machine in a day, according to Dr Thapa.  

Among the COVID-19 suspected kept in different hospitals in Banke, 14 persons were tested negative on Saturday. Till Saturday, a total of 496 persons were tested negative in the district.  

Throat swab from eight persons was collected on Saturday in the district.