FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The President of Goa Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Manoj Caculo has written a letter to Mr Ajit Roy, Collector and District Magistrate of South Goa and also South Goa District Disaster Management Authority to review his order on closing down seven of Tulip Diagnostics units and allow the units to commence operations after following necessary precautions and SOPs as mandated by various MHA, NDMA and Ministry of Health guidelines.
“We have no doubt that your order to close down the seven units of Tulip Group in Verna Industrial Estate, after some of the group units reported Covid positive cases, was prompted by your desire to ensure prevention of the virus from spreading further and creating a larger disaster. However, the affected units have represented that only 4 of the 7 units namely Coral Clinical Systems, Orchid Biomedical Systems, Qualpro Diagnostics and Zephyr Biomedical have reported Covid positive cases and the other 3 units namely Tulip Diagnostic, Microexpress and Bioshields have no Covid positive cases,” Mr Caculo mentioned in the letter.
The letter also quoted that the Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services (EMR Division) guidelines on preventive measures to contain spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings dated May 18 sets out detailed procedure to be followed in case any Covid positive cases are found at any workplace.
“If there are one or two cases reported, the disinfection procedure will be limited to places/areas visited by the patient in past 48 hour. There is no need to close the entire office building/halt work in other areas of the office and work can be resumed after disinfection as per laid down protocol. However, if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be closed for 48 hours after thorough disinfection. All the staff will work from home, till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation,” GCCI President quoted in the letter.
Calulo further wrote that in the instant case, the group has represented that they are subjecting employees of all the 7 group units to undergo RTPCR Test at Margao Health Centre. In view of the above guidelines, we feel that the Units should be properly disinfected and those who test negative for the Covid virus should be allowed to resume work.
“We also feel that the above Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services (EMR Division) guidelines on preventive measures to contain spread of Covid-19 in workplace should be followed in case of all workplaces /units where such incidences of Covid positive cases are noticed,” said Caculo.
