Bhutan now has 19 positive COVID-19 cases with four new positive cases added to the list this afternoon.All 4 new cases are females aged 31, 29, 24 and 27 years old. They came to Bhutan from the Middle East and were in quarantine facilities in Thimphu before being moved to the isolation center earlier this evening.
While five cases have fully recovered, there are now 13 positive cases in the Isolation ward in Thimphu.
All the COVID-19 positive cases in the country are imported and without any case of community transmission, Bhutan is still in the orange zone.
The spike in the number of positive cases has raised concerns about Thimphu Hospital’s capacity to handle the cases.
Speaking to BBS, the Medical Superintendent of the National Referral Hospital, Dr Gosar Pemba, assured that the isolation ward can treat around 200 COVID-19 patients.
Three places at the hospital have been identified as isolation wards. Currently COVID one and COVID two wards have 29 beds and 30 beds each. COVID three ward can fit in 50 beds.
“We can fit in more beds if needed. So in the hospital here itself, we can fit around 200 people,” said Dr Gosar Pemba.
He added that the health ministry has also identified Terma Linca as one of the isolation wards under the surge capacity plan. “If it is not possible to fit all COVID-19 positive patients here, people without symptoms or mild symptoms will be taken to Terma Linca,” he said.
Dr Gosar Pemba also said that positive cases detected in the east would be taken to Monggar isolation ward. In the south, people will be taken to Phuentshogling and Gelegphu isolation wards.
He also added that despite the increase in number of patients, the staffing pattern would not change unless there is a drastic increase in numbers.
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Samten Dolkar
