Human Rights Commission urges govt to expand contact tracing at community level

KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to expand contact tracing at community level in view of the growing spread of coronavirus infection.

Issuing a press statement on Monday, NHRC Spokesperson Dr Tikaram Pokhrel asked the government to make systematic the COVID-19 vaccination by ensuring its access to the target group. Similarly, those receiving first doze of Covishield must be provided the second dose.

The NHRC also wrote to the Ministry of Health and Population to pay attention to the effective management of vaccination against coronavirus. It cautioned that poor management of vaccination centre would cause further spread of coronavirus.

Moreover, long line of elderly people at vaccination centres, shortage of vaccine for those waiting in line, obstruction of vaccination after dispute and the vaccination to the people who are not of target group were observed by the NHRC monitoring. The human rights watch body was receiving complaint of no guarantee of second dose of Covishield.

“Although some places including Kathmandu Valley have witnessed decreased cases of coronavirus infection, the number of critical patients in the places including Rukum, Rolpa and Dhangadi were still high,” the NHRC reminded, adding that the test was not expanded in the rural communities.

It also spoke on the ill social treatment- discrimination towards infected ones in society.