Nepal receiving medical supplies from China through land route

Nepal is increasingly getting essential medical supplies from China through the land route after the Nepali government decided to reopen Tatopani-Zhangmu border point in late March, a senior Nepali official at Tatopani Customs Office said.

This international border point along with Rasuwagadhi-Kerung (Geelong) border point had remained closed since late January after the COVID-19 outbreak in China. On March 25, the Nepali government had decided to reopen both border points for importing essential goods including medical goods and food items from China.

But only Tatopani-Zhangmu border point reopened at the moment.

"Since the first consignment of medical supply arrived on April 8 after the reopening of the border point, the number of shipments through the border point has been increasing gradually," Lal Bahadur Khatri, chief customs officer at Tatopani Customs told Xinhua on Tuesday. "Two or three containers carrying medical supplies are arriving at the border point every day in the recent days."

According to Khatri, Nepal has been receiving only medical supplies through the border point so far. He said, the reopening of the border point has given a cheaper option for suppliers to deliver goods through land route compared to the chartered flights.

The Nepali government has given first priority to the medical supplies as the country is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic which has so far infected 58 people in the Himalayan country, according to Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population.

According to the data provided by the Tatopani Customs Office, over 15 containers carrying medical goods have already entered Nepal through border points.

On April 22, Nepal had received the medical supplies donated by China's Tibet Autonomous Region through the Tatopani-Zhangmu border point.