Even as the State government claims to have put in place a robust mechanism to treat the co-morbid conditions, the COVID19-related fatalities are on a constant rise with 6.2 persons dying every day on an average.
Worse still, there have been 450.9 cases per day as against 374.1 recoveries.
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With 19,862 cases, as on September 4, 2020, 1.32% of the State population of 15 lakh already has COVID-19.
What is even more shocking is that 10% of those tested, which 2.08 lakh are positive.
The recovery rate is 74.2% while the death rate is 1.10%.
Believe it or not, in the last 15 days around the Ganesh festival, 94 people have lost their lives while 6,764 new cases have been registered in the State.
While 6,764 new cases were reported 5,612 recoveries were also reported.
In the last 11-days, COVID19 cases breached the 500-mark six times – on August 28, 29 and September 1, 2 3 and 4.
The sudden surge in the last few days seems to have put the State’s preparedness to shame even as the authorities are running from pillar to post to increase the number of wards in Goa Medical College (GMC).
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s statement was criticized by the Opposition but what he said about people not following the norms of social distancing and wearing of masks were very much true.
Speaking to Herald, GMC Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar said that 100% efforts are being made to save lives of co-morbid patients.
“Many a time, we are unable to continue with the co-morbid patient’s current medication due to the administration of medicines like Remdesivir. But our experts are giving them compatible medicines,” he said.
He added that all the most expensive medicines like Remdesivir, plasma therapy is being given to the patients in Goa, which is one of highest spending States in the country on COVID19 patients.
“Even for administering plasma, the equipment used at the Apheresis machines for each patient costs Rs 8,000 and we have procured them to save lives of the people,” he says.
Besides this, he said around 140 GMC staff have tested positive treating the patients.
He added that a total of 51 doctors, 21 nurses, 23 interns, 35 Multi Tasking Staff and 10 technical staff at GMC Hospital have contracted COVID-19 infection till date.
“The GMC staff testing positive is an indication that we are treating the patients with care and not ignoring them,” said Dr Bandekar.
