KOICA Supports Diagnostic Kits to Combat COVID-19 Spread in Nepal

Supported Diagnostic Kits Utilized at Nepal Government's Official COVID-19 Response Hospitals

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) is providing diagnostic kits to respond to the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nepal.

On the 16th, KOICA Nepal Office supported the Nepal Ministry of Health with gene amplification (RT-PCR) diagnostic kits capable of testing about 20,000 people for COVID-19.

As of the 15th, among 133,377 COVID-19 test subjects in Nepal, the number of confirmed cases reached 5,760, more than tripling in the past two weeks. This is attributed to the easing of movement restrictions in India, with illegal movement of Nepalese workers returning home and between domestic regions being identified as the cause. To make matters worse, a massive unemployment crisis caused by the global spread of COVID-19 is expected to force about one million Nepalese workers abroad to return home.

The Nepal government had implemented a nationwide lockdown for three months to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but is now threatened again by cases imported from overseas. Accordingly, the Nepal government is struggling to prepare countermeasures such as securing adequate quarantine facilities, COVID-19 diagnostic testing, and treatment, but the situation is not easy due to poor basic healthcare infrastructure.

In fact, Nepal recently imported a large number of diagnostic kits and quarantine supplies from China, but due to a shortage of diagnostic kits relative to suspected infected patients, diagnostic testing has been drastically reduced at medical facilities nationwide, including the official COVID-19 response hospital in Kathmandu. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), which are relatively inexpensive and widely used despite being less accurate than gene amplification diagnostic kits, have also consumed more than 80% of the government’s secured stock, effectively paralyzing COVID-19 diagnostic operations.

KOICA Nepal Office actively supported Nepal’s COVID-19 response by providing gene amplification diagnostic kits worth $325,000. The supported diagnostic kits will be sent to official COVID-19 response hospitals, including Tikapur Hospital, which KOICA supported.

Deputy Ambassador Kwon Soon-chil said, “The support of Korean diagnostic kits to the Nepal government, which is experiencing a rapid increase in confirmed cases due to COVID-19 patients coming from India, seems timely,” and added, “We hope that Korea and Nepal will cooperate to effectively overcome the COVID-19 crisis based on this support.”

Ko Sung-hoon, head of KOICA Nepal Office, said, “The key to responding to the spread of COVID-19 lies in rapid and accurate testing,” and added, “Through this diagnostic kit support, we expect to share Korea’s excellent quarantine capabilities with Nepal and play a pivotal role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Nepalese communities.”

Roshan Pokharel, Deputy Minister of the Nepal Ministry of Health, said, “We deeply appreciate the Korean government’s prompt response to the Nepal government’s request for support amid the COVID-19 crisis,” and added, “We hope Korea will actively share its COVID-19 quarantine experience with Nepal beyond just diagnostic kits.”

Meanwhile, on April 30, KOICA Nepal Office supported three hospitals built with KOICA assistance and one partner hospital with COVID-19 related protective equipment for medical personnel, including personal protective equipment (PPE). KOICA Nepal Office plans to continue multifaceted activities to strengthen Nepal’s COVID-19 response capacity and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Nepal through comprehensive support linking medical personnel protective supplies and diagnostic kits.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.