By Our Correspondent, Salyan, May 20: Most of the coronavirus positive patients across the country have stayed in home isolation, and the Salyan district is no exception.

Official data show that there are more than 650 active cases in the district, and of them, over 550 are staying in home isolations. However, medical personnel and government authorities have informed that the majority of the patients in home isolation have been fighting an uphill battle to save their lives.

“Those staying in home isolations suffer from fever and the common cold. They seek medical attention only when their medical conditions worsen. However, by that time it is already too late,” said Dr. Bhim Kanta Jaisi of Salyan District Hospital.

A woman from Siddha Kumakh Rural Municipality in the district, who was tested positive for the virus, died a couple of days after being admitted to the hospital. She was admitted only after her health deteriorated beyond recovery.

Doctors who treated her said that her health worsened in absence of timely medical intervention. Meanwhile, doctors and health experts have argued that patients aren’t only to be blamed for their deaths in home isolation.

A COVID-19 positive adult from Chhatreshwori Rural Municipality recently died in home isolation, because he neither received any medical attention nor had any drug prescription from health personnel.

“The people in home isolation don’t receive enough medical attention, because of which they are unaware of their condition before it is too late,” said Rikha Ram Pun, COVID-19 focal person for Salyan.

A total of 27 people have died of coronavirus in the district, according to the data. Only in the past one week, seven died in home isolations. Three others died in institutional isolation. At a time the number of pandemic cases is on the rise in the district, there are only 13 people in the 180-bed isolation center.

The center is equipped with an oxygen supply and has been set up jointly by nine local levels of Salyan. However, things have started changing for the better. Local-level representatives have started raising awareness on the risk involved while staying in home isolation, and are searching for COVID-19 patients across the villages.

“We have started deploying a team of medical professionals alongside local representatives. They are launching a door-to-door campaign to raise awareness, and the patients now are getting their fever checked and their health diagnosed. Besides, the patients are also getting necessary prescriptions and suggestions,” said Nim Bahadur KC, chairman of Darma Rural Municipality.