President of the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli to review the government's shortcomings in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and investigate corruption in procurement of medical supplies.
Speaking in the meeting of experts and opposition leaders called by PM Oli on Tuesday to decide whether to impose lockdown, Deuba presented a seven-point suggestion including the party's previous positions about the pandemic.
Deuba has urged Oli for honest review of the progress and shortcomings in the government's work during the pandemic and asked him to investigate irregularities in procurement of medical supplies and punish the guilty instead of protecting them.
Deuba also urged for end of rapid diagnostic tests, expansion of the scope of PCR tests, adequate supply of medical equipment and medicines, better management of quarantine facilities, rescue of Nepalis stranded abroad without charging any amount, regular consultation with experts and different parties and organizations, division of the places in different zones on the basis of the risk of outbreak and separate strategies for each of those zones, and addressing demands of youths staging a hunger strike putting several justified demands, among others.
Oli has held discussion with public health experts opposition leaders including Deuba and Chairman of Janta Samajwadi Party Mahantha Thakur and ministers and secretaries, and other experts in the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) to decide about the next steps in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
