Team Herald
PORVORIM: Taking his rhetoric of Bhivpachi garaz na, to the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said that the treatment facilities for COVID-19 in Goa are the best in the country and blamed the people for delay in testing that then led to the “mortalities” that occurred.
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In a statement on the COVID-19 management in the State, after the opposition walkout from the Assembly, Sawant criticised the opposition for providing no support whatsoever to the government.
“I say again bhivpachi garaz na, but when I say that we need to also do testing on time and take proper treatment for COVID-19,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the entire world is trying hard to find a vaccine but there is no success yet as nobody has had past experience of managing COVID.
He said that after the initial lockdowns the State had several problems at hand. “There were several problems before State after lockdowns like sending labourers back home, sending stranded foreigners, providing essential items supply, bringing our seafarers back, bringing Goans stranded in the country back etc etc,” he said.
He said that while doing all this, the government also kept transparency on everything. “Our staff is working 24×7 at borders, hospitals, health centres, cleaning staff. Criticising on social media is easy but to actually work on ground is difficult,” he said.
Sawant also explained why the Budget was passed in a hurry saying, “We needed to pass the Budget as the money was required for COVID management. We told the opposition we will finish the business and then talk on COVID but they did not wait.”
Sawant further said that the government has not failed anywhere, it has done work to its best abilities. “We do not need a certificate from opposition. Our work can be seen as mortality is the best and testing rate is the highest in the country,” he said.
He said that the government is working 24×7 while the opposition leaders did not even move out the first few days. He said that the State government has not taken any money from anyone.
“COVID-19 hospital staff is working continuously. Our attempt is to give best hygienic and good food. We are trying to give one of the best treatments. Our treatment is the best in country,” he said, adding that despite this people are dying but no doctor wants his patient to die.
He blamed the people for the mortalities saying people do not come for testing despite having fever for five days. “When there is a pandemic everyone has to go for testing immediately. I urge everyone to go at the earliest to the health centre,” he said.
He also said that there is a backlog in testing as there is increased swab taking. “Our capacity to test is 2600 to 3000, which we are still doing,” he said.
