Team Herald
PANJIM: A group of citizens under the banner Goa People’s Voices COVID-19 has raised serious concerns regarding issues of public health and availability of medical facilities in light of pandemic caused due to COVID-19.
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In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the forum, which also comprises of civic groups, stated that the current situation has led to a lot of anxiety and panic alleging visible lack of preparedness of the State.
“To reduce community transmission, the focus of the State must be to identify, isolate and the threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently recommended large-scale testing in order to identify infected cases; restricted testing is likely to miss out many asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic carriers of the virus. We note that there is now one testing centre at Goa Medical College, where previously there was none but this would not suffice the expected load, and the fast and large rate at which these tests are expected to take place,” it said.
In view of health professionals also getting exposed to the infection in different countries, the forum said it is imperative to ensure the safety of health professionals and health care providers.
“Further, we need to note that lockdown is not the only or adequate way to fight the COVID 19. The State has failed to reach out even the key messaging about helplines and relevant information pertaining to health care to migrant workers, the aged and the infirm, through the MLAs, local self government representatives, etc as it should proactively have done,” it added.
The forum also raised concerns that disadvantages faced by sections of society who are living in small cramped places that do not follow social distancing norms, and urged for immediate action in this regard.
While recommending several measures related to the issue, the forum also demanded making public the availability of PPE (including N95 masks) for doctors, nurses and the health support staff in Goa; amongst others.
