The supply of crucial medical equipment to hospitals across northern Nepal has been disrupted as heavy rain, witnessed in the last three weeks, swept away many crucial roads and bridges. The Tatopani crossing point on the Nepal-China border also remained closed due to damaged roads. 

Ever since the second wave of the Covid-19 hit the country, China has been providing medical supplies from its northern border points. Tatopani, one of the border points, was closed for the last two weeks as roads and bridges were damaged by the heavy rains.

Among the disrupted supplies is an oxygen plant for Kathmandu’s Bir Hospital which houses Nepal’s biggest Covid facility.  The plant, with the capacity of filling around 200 cylinders per day, has been stuck on the Chinese side of the Tatopani border point since the middle of June after floods and landslides damaged the road on the Nepal side.

“We have completed setting up ICU beds with ventilators at the surgical ward of Bir Hospital three weeks ago targeting the Covid-19 patients as the oxygen plant was supposed to arrive by that time,” Dr. Nabin Pokharel, deputy director at the Unified Covid-19 center in Bir Hospital, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. 

“Since the oxygen plant has not arrived yet, we are using the ICU ward as a general ward,” he added. 

Narad Gautam, the chief customs officer at the Tatopani post, informed that 80 containers, including those containing medical supplies, were stuck at the border. 

“Only containers carrying apples are being cleared for the last 10 days because they can be carried by porters,” Gautam was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post. “Heavy goods and equipment cannot be transported by porters so they remain stuck,” he added. 

The report says that repair work on roads couldn't be started due to the protests by local residents. They fear digging mountains to clear roads would put their homes at the risk of landslides or collapse. 

(SAM)