FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim is gasping to provide uninterrupted medical oxygen supply to rising Corornavirus infected patients, besides running out of beds.
According to information available, nearly 800 COVID-19 patients have been admitted in the State-run hospital which has about 550 beds. Some of the patients have now been shifted to the two wards of the newly-built super-specialty block even as 50 per cent of these patients require uninterrupted oxygen supply.
Similar is the case in other COVID care centres where there is shortage of beds amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. However, GMC sources said that patients keep coming to the GMC hospital.
GMC Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar and his team have been doing their best to provide medical facilities to all the patients. Two more wards 139 and 148, with a total of 70 beds, have also been converted into COVID wards.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Friday ruled out that the State is reeling under a shortage of oxygen and claimed that the government has taken all measures to provide uninterrupted oxygen supply to government and private hospitals.
Sawant said that the government has already commissioned 20,000 litres capacity oxygen storage tank in the super specialty block at Bambolim and 6000 litres oxygen storage tank in the South Goa District hospital, Margao.
Goa also received additional five metric tonne of oxygen allotted by the Government of India on Thursday while, the oxygen filling plant at Cuncolim has also been activated, he said.
Police security has been enhanced in and around the GMC wards in view of the large number of relatives of patients visiting the hospital and incidents of abusing doctors when their dear one succumb to COVID-19 infection.
On the other hand, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat on Friday demanded an all-party inspection of medical oxygen facilities in the GMC and other COVID hospitals on Saturday, May 8.
Kamat said, “Situation of COVID management has really gone out of control. I am getting consistent calls from relatives of patients about shortage of oxygen. Patients are gasping and insensitive BJP government is busy doing lip service. I demand inspection of all the medical oxygen facilities by all-party delegation tomorrow (Friday) will bring out the true picture of what is actually happening on ground. I demand Chief Minister Pramod Sawant must take note and act immediately.”
“We are getting continuous SOS messages from the patients and relatives complaining of slow flow of oxygen or stoppage of oxygen in hospitals. Some are pleading for help to provide oxygen cylinders. The mechanism has collapsed and government is just not bothered,” he said adding “Let the government now dare to do a joint inspection tomorrow. Let the people of Goa know what the BJP government did in last one year.”
