Food for patients and relatives
Goa is facing a crisis due to a very high number of people getting infected by Covid-19. The relatives of patients have to run to different hospitals to find place for them and also deal with other problems such as shortage of oxygen and ventilators. They have hardly time to arrange food for their patients and for themselves.
Few individuals, clubs and families like the Goan Culinary Club, Aldona Food Helpline, Kankonkar family and even the Goa Sikh Youth to name a few, have risen to the occasion in providing free food to patients and attendant relatives and to even patients who are quarantined at home. This initiative is commendable as it provides timely help to people in need. This is what is called true Goemkarponn.
We hope that the distribution is properly organized. This was a great opportunity to our MLAs to take the initiative and provide food to the patients and relatives. They can still come forward and show that they too have a heart to help when people need help.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
People need Covid-literacy
The intention of the Goa Government to impose covid curfew in the state for 15-days was to break the chain and arrest the infection. Hours within the announcement of this curfew the serpentine lines at almost all the groceries shops were witnessed. Almost all people across the state have forgotten Covid protocol.
Social Distancing got converted into social gathering giving a huge opportunity for the virus to breed and multiply. While we all blame tourists for getting the virus into the State, it is equally true that even after having one of the highest literacy rates in the state, we are almost behaving like illiterate as far as Covid literacy is concerned. While China could control the spikes due to their disciplined nature, we on the other hand breed the virus due to our indiscipline actions.
More than Lockdowns, Covid curfews, curbs etc etc, what the government should focus on Covid literacy. Each one should teach one about the protocols or else each one will infect many leading to Covid third wave. As we are learning lessons from over burdened health infrastructure, stressed government machinery precaution is the only measure to curtail the next surge. Mass Covid literacy is the only solution to arrest the discipline deficit.
G Shrinivas, Porvorim
Gasping for oxygen
Headlines scream “Oxygen pressure in high flow central line drops to 0.5 pounds per square inch (the recommended pressure is 5 psi at the very least) “, as Covid patients start thrashing about for air their relatives get anxiety attacks , for them Hell is a place on earth.
They send out frantic messages to volunteer groups or put out SOS posts on social media. This danse macabre plays out every night at GMC, SGDH and most other hospitals, it’s quite obvious that there is an acute shortage of medical oxygen in the state despite what the CM and HM would like us to believe. It is pertinent to note that most of the new Covid cases detected with mutant strains require long duration cannula fed intensive oxygen therapy.
Adding to the right royal mess is the fact that the hospital staff are clueless about operating oxygen concentrators gifted from abroad as they come with European standard 110 volts flat pin plugs, providing a simple adapter could have solved the problem.
Our CM is hell bent on supplying oxygen to neighbouring Sindhudurg district, I suspect there is a political angle to it ; he perversely justifies his action on ‘humanitarian grounds’ .It takes a special kind of stupid to practise such interstate oxygen diplomacy at a time when Goans are in acute distress. This latest step by the CM will now literally sound the death knell for most patients in the state, but Hey…Bivpachi Garaz Na, all is well.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Priests’ transfers
The entire transfers’ list of priests of different categories has been circulating in the social media including dailies. In the footnote to the list which is stated that priests, ordered to be transferred, would be intimated when they should take charge. It is already reliably learnt that transfers of parish priests has been kept in abeyance, and not that of a few assistants.
If Covid is a cause, then I find no reason why these assistants be discriminated upon and given marching orders now. Could these too not be allowed till Covid subsides? Is the life and health of these assistants not as precious as that of others?
Soccoro Fernandes, Fatorda
Decisions must have medical credence!
The Collector/Magistrate, South Goa Disaster Management, has directed a number of non-teaching Staff from aided schools to report to the SGDH and other Covid hospitals from May 10. While the Collector has the Powers to do so, does she have the requisite knowledge?
In times of war, 18 year old males are called for duty. But they are not sent into battle unarmed or without battle gear or minimal training!
1. Have these people been provided with PPE?
2. Where are they to be trained: at Covid centres?
3. One is already tested positive: so, are you going to endanger others?
4. A fungal infection is found to be even fatal in Covid patients with diabetes. How has this risk been mitigated?
5. The Indian mutant virus is listed as a ‘matter of interest’ with some putting it under the dreaded ‘matter of concern’. WHO is to soon follow suit? This means that this mutant is dodging the vaccines. What risk management is done here?
6. Is the Collector assuming that we know everything about the mutant virus?
7. Whether age and other co-morbidities are a risk even with vaccines? Is the Collector relying on her personal assessment?
Risk management must be done in matters of life and death for which adequate knowledge is required not personal belief.
Covid hospitals need urgent staff but with adequate knowledge and training not just numbers. The first step is to :
1. Have adequate beds and oxygen. Without this you are just generating new problems
2. Command Doctors and health workers from private hospitals to relieve the Govt. ones for 2 weeks. Note that the Govt. has declared to give first preference to Govt. jobs even from private hospitals.
3. Rope in the CRPF and armed forces. Why not the ‘famed’ Security ‘Guards”as well?
Don’t put Goa in a further rut. We need to beware of square pegs in round holes.
R Fernandes, Margao
TMC lacks proper ideology
In the article ‘How Bengal voted for the new PM’ (Herald Review May 9 )
Radharao Gracias advocated Mamata Banerjee as possible PM candidate for 2024 general elections. The tigress of Bengal could definitely give a valiant fight for the PM’s chair but I am of the opinion that her TMC Party lacks proper ideology that could encompass whole of India.
However, MK Stalin the new CM of Tamil Nadu is in an excellent position to extend his ideology of Dravidar Kazagham of E V Ramaswami Naicker. It could, in fact, easily elevate India to super power status because a general Hindu atheistic outlook could work wonders for India as a whole.
AC Menezes, Chinchinim
