MARGAO: With the Health Department turning its focus on upgrading the new South Goa District Hospital, the ESI COVID Hospital in Margao having its lone patient in the Intensive Care Unit, is likely to return as a non-COVID medical facility.
The cleaning of the ESI hospital has commenced but any changeover or shifting back would depend on the COVID-19 situation in Goa.
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The ESI Hospital, which was augmented to handle several COVID-19 patients following the outbreak, today has only one patient in the ICU. Not many patients are being referred to the ESI as most of the essential equipment provided by the Directorate of Health Services is being sent to the South Goa District Hospital.
It is learnt that there are moves to develop the South Goa District Hospital into a State-of-the-art COVID hospital.
Top doctors said that the decision to shift back to the regular hospital functioning would be taken by the Health Minister. However, the medical teams are preparing for the second wave of the infection and this factor would be considered before taking any decisions.
The ESI Hospital has proved to be a lifesaver for many when the State faced its worst wave of the infection. ESI was the lone facility for South Goa before the South Goa District Hospital commenced functioning. The ESI hospital was handling the patients from both South and North Goa as well.
