SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Following complaints of mismanagement at the ESI COVID Hospital and a subsequent note by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Dr Ira Almeida has been removed as in charge of the COVID hospital as well as the Medical Superintendent of Hospicio, Margao.
Almeida has been replaced by Dr Uday Kakodkar at the COVID hospital, while Dr Deepa Correia will take charge as MS of Hospicio.
Rane, in his note to the chief minister had said that Almeida be directed to go through a proper handover so that there is smooth transition and GMC gets a total grip.
An order issued by Joint Secretary Health says the overall administration and working management of the COVID Hospital will have to be monitored by the Dean, Goa Medical College.
“Dr Jagdish Kakodkar, Professor and Head, Department of PSM, Goa Medical College shall be the dedicated administrator, who shall look after day-to-day administration of the COVID Hospital, daily media bulletin, accommodation of staff and any other duty necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the said COVID-19 Hospital,” the order said.
The order further says that a committee comprising of Dean, GMC, Director Health Services and Dr Vishwajit Faldessai senior orthopaedic surgeon & in charge of ESI Hospital, Margao, has been constituted for manpower deployment such as doctors, nurses and paramedics.
It adds a senior consultant from the medical team of the GMC shall be the nodal officer for the treatment protocols in the COVID Hospital, dashboard and liaising with the Collectors and Deputy Collectors.
Treatment Protocol Committee which will comprise of Dr Mohandas Pednekar, medical superintendent-cum Deputy Director, North Goa District Hospital, Mapusa, Dr Anar Khandeparkar, associate professor in Medicine, GMC, Dr Edward De Mello, senior physician, Hospicio Margao, Dr Vaibhav Gude, Dr Venkatesh Molio, Dr Oscar Rebello, Dr Rajeshwar Naik and Dr Virendra has been constituted who shall decide the protocols for treatment in consultation with the AIIMS Nodal Officer, Dr Guleria.
The order also says that the COVID positive death cremation committee shall be headed by the senior consultant of medicine as nodal officer and the Collectors/Deputy Collectors.
“A 50-bedded high dependency unit shall be created within the COVID Hospital with bedside ventilators under the supervision of the following: Dr Viraj Namshikar, Assistant Professor in Anaesthesiology, GMC, Dr Deependra C, Assistant Professor in Anaesthesiology, GMC, Dr Glenn, ESI Hospital, Margao, and Dr Gayatri Kalyanshetty, Senior Hospital, Margao.
For smooth functioning of the OT in the COVID Hospital, a committee has been constituted under Dr Francis Noronha, Professor in Surgery, GMC, Dr Ajit Nagarsekar, Associate Professor in Obst & Gyn, GMC, Dr Vishwajit Faldesai, senior orthopaedic surgeon, ESI Hospital, Margao Dr Pabitra Ghoshal, assistant professor in anaesthesiology, GMC, Dr Gauresh Vargaonkar, lecturer in surgery, GMC.
For COVID positive patients admitted with co-morbidities, they shall be treated by the super speciality teams such as cardiology, oncology neurology, nephrology, neuro-surgery, urology etc, from GMC on call.
The order says the manpower of senior residents to be increased under the Department of Medicine; anesthesia and pulmonary medicine by 5 residents each.
The biomedical waste, nutrition and diet of patients, laundry services, hand patient handling, which is very important and housekeeping to be outsourced to agencies which are already working in GMC such as Sodexo, Eco Clean, Scoop Oxygen etc, and should function 24x7.
The details with regard to above shall be sought from the Dean, GMC for obtaining approval of the Finance Department.
A Nodal Officer shall be appointed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation for the day-to-day administration of in house maintenance work at the COVID Hospital.
