MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, in the presence of the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate announced a series of measures the government is taking to upgrade the existing facilities and ensure that COVID patients get the best treatment.
For starters, the number of beds at Goa Medical College (GMC) and South Goa District Hospital (SGDH), which were recently increased, will be increased again. ESI hospital, which has a 250-bed capacity, will function again as a full-fledged COVID hospital, and all the beds at the SD Hospital in Ponda will be made available for COVID patients.
Further, the super-speciality block at GMC will be operational as a COVID hospital by May 10, which will have another 200 beds.
Sawant announced that Public Relations Officers are being appointed at all such hospitals to reduce the burden faced by doctors and to direct all queries from the public about the status of the bed or updates about the condition of individual patients.
Sawant also spoke about how patients choose on their own, which government hospital they should visit for ICU or ITU units. He appealed to them to check with the doctors first who will decide where the patient can go to, be it GMC, SGDH or ESI hospital depending on the availability and severity of the patient’s conditions.
The CM also noted that home isolation kits are being provided and that in case the same has not been given, people can contact their nearest Health Centre and get the required medicines.
Sawant also announced that the Indian Medical
Association (IMA) will resume tele-counselling and monitoring services with patients who are in home isolation. He said there will be proper coordination based on last year’s experience about hospitalising patients.
He also announced that COVID Centres across the State that were operational during last year’s pandemic are all being reactivated.
He said this is important as patients who cannot maintain complete isolation at their residences, can stay at the COVID Centres.
“There are a lot of rumours going around that there is a shortage of oxygen cylinders or remdesivir vials. This is not true as we have sufficient stock. There are 10,000 remdesivir vials being made available in the next four days. For private hospitals that need the same for injections, they can loan the same by mailing the GMC Dean. Regarding oxygen, we are getting supply from the agencies concerned. Efforts are also being made in coordination with the government of India for additional regular allocation of Liquid Medical Oxygen in case of increased requirement,” Sawant said.
Rane said that Cipla in Goa manufactures remdesivir vials and has been asked to ensure minimum inventory in the State.
Sawant also rejected speculation about shortage of vaccination and said the Centre is providing additional stock in the future as and when required and that there is sufficient stock for the ongoing vaccination drives and the upcoming phase of vaccinating people above the age of 18.
He also touched upon the coordination between private hospitals and the government health department pointing out that the two are now going to be in touch constantly, to discuss updates regarding treatment options or availability of facilities.
Responding to queries from the media, Sawant added that they are in talk with private hospitals to get them to reduce their prices by 10 to 25 per cent given that the State needs the private and public infrastructure to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Sawant added that three IAS officers will work alongside the State Health Secretary as nodal officers to oversee augmentation and strengthening of State’s healthcare services and response to the pandemic.
Rane and Sawant spoke about how the government is ramping up COVID testing with the aim of crossing a 5,000 a day figure. While Rane pointed out additional machines have been procured for this, Sawant said that the government has increased per day testing to 4,000 a day and that a mobile-RT PCR van unit has started at GMC and more such vans will be pressed into service soon.
Responding to queries from the media about the backlog of tests given that it is taking three days time at some places for test results, Rane said that in the next four days or so, the backlog will be cleared and efforts are being made to ensure that test results are given within 24 hours.
Rane added that this was important as the patient should know his status and if he should start medication or not.
Sawant also pointed out that it is important for people to go for testing immediately as there have been cases, including fatal ones, where a patient has gone to the hospital after reaching a critical stage, when it is too late. He said the present strain appears to be targeting youngsters in particular and the lungs get affected very early so it is important for people to get themselves tested as soon as they face any symptoms.
He also added that the government is doing an audit of all the patients who have passed away.
Speaking about the strains in circulation in Goa, Rane said the government is soon going to have its state of the art virology lab start functioning, which will make Goa the second place after National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to have such a lab. While suspected samples are now being sent to NIV to determine if any additional strains are in circulation, the Goa Lab will help the Health Department complete the testing process quicker, which will allow them to take decisions accordingly.
Finally, Sawant appealed to patients who have recovered from COVID to come forward and donate their plasma to GMC as this is vital in treating the COVID patients.
