Team Herald
PANJIM: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday slammed Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant for being “insensitive” towards the frontline COVID warriors especially the resident doctors who have contracted the infection by not providing them with safe isolated accommodation at Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.
AAP leader Valmiki Naik expressed shock that the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) had to officially write to the government highlighting the plight of the 15 doctors who tested positive.
Stating that in India over 800 doctors have lost their lives to the dreaded infection while treating COVID patients, he asked why the Goa government, which is headed by a doctor, failed to provide essential services to these doctors at GMC.
Dr Sawant’s government has been treating the frontline warriors with utmost disrespect and callousness since the pandemic broke out, Valmiki alleged and claimed that the promised 20 per cent hike in salaries of COVID warriors has not fructified as.
The government even withdrew the isolated accommodation provided to doctors on COVID duty at ESI Hospital and South Goa District Hospital in November last year and it was restored only after the doctors withdrew from COVID duty in protest, he said.
Dr Pramod appears to be following his Central leaders who withdrew the insurance scheme announced for corona warriors last year and merely honoured the COVID warriors by showering petals on them, said Valmiki.
He demanded that a separate nodal officer be appointed to exclusively monitor the arrangements made for the frontline warriors as they are irreplaceable particularly as the State battles the second wave of pandemic.
