GARY AZAVEDO
MARGAO: With the State government presently dragging its heels to curb the daily rising COVID-19 fatalities and positive cases that are rapidly spiralling beyond control, several good Samaritans across the State are now stepping forward as pro-active COVID-19 warriors in this deadly battle against the dreaded Coronavirus providing various forms of medical and non-medical assistance and care including setting up of home isolations and quarantine centres for the asymptomatic COVID positive patients, who simply cannot afford one!
On May 9, Archbishop Most Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao blessed and inaugurated the 40-bedded Diocesan COVID Care Centre established at the St Joseph Vaz Spirituality Centre, Old Goa for symptomatic mild cases requiring isolation and quarantine facility with a provision for an additional 10 beds with oxygen facility.
Earlier, on May 5, a free COVID-19 self-quarantine or isolation centre run by the Orlim Disaster Management Team comprising of a dedicated group of local church volunteers headed by the St Michael Church, Orlim Parish Priest Fr Roger ‘Raju’ Godinho, OP was established.
This was followed by yet another free 32-bedded COVID care home isolation facility being launched on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13) by the Goa Province Jesuits community at the Pedro Arrupe Institute (PAI), Raia called COVID Care and Compassion Centre that has been approved by the State government.
Yet another government approved free 30-bedded home isolation facility called Benaulim Quarantine Centre managed by St John The Baptist Church and Goa Dimensions along with their allied partners comprising of their business supporters and local villagers was inaugurated on May 14, at the St John The Baptist hall, Benaulim.
COVID Care and
Compassion Centre
Fr Pedro Rodrigues, SJ informed, “This COVID Care and Compassion Centre opened up at PAI, Raia is meant for the asymptomatic patients who have just started showing the COVID-19 symptoms and tested positive before they head off to the next stage. This centre is providing them facilities that they cannot avail at home of isolation or home quarantine as they find it difficult especially those who are poor and needy. This centre has a panel of doctors headed by Dr Brennan Tavares who can be contacted online, besides a team of nurses and volunteers to attend to these patients’ needs.”
“Regarding food, this centre has several well wishers providing free food – breakfast, lunch and dinner with the menu whetted by the doctors. The doctors set the menu and these people cook and provide us free of cost. A security guard has been sponsored to us by another well wisher.”
Benaulim
Quarantine
Centre
After blessing the centre recently, the St John The Baptist Church, Benaulim Assistant Parish Priest Fr Mauvin Menezes disclosed, “This centre is basically for those who want to isolate themselves when they are tested positive as the doctors recommend them to undergo home isolation. But for some patients, it is not possible because they do not have a separate room so this centre is basically for them. When they visit the health centre, the health centre will recommend them that there is a centre where they can be isolated from their family members and there are no charges for this centre wherein everything is taken care of such as food, water, etc.
This centre has 30 beds segregated into male and female sections with nurses, medicines and oximeters being provided. There’s no ambulance but we have tied up with ‘Goa Miles’ to take the COVID positive patients to the hospital in case of any emergencies. This centre is for those patients who are in the initial first stage of COVID-19 (asymptomatic and having mild COVID-19 symptoms) but not severe.”
Cavelossim
COVID Warriors
Meanwhile, a group of five Cavelossim villagers – Dixon Vaz, Bosco Rodrigues, Roy Barretto, Cruz Cardozo and Rosario Fernandes – decided to form the ‘Cavelossim COVID Warriors’ providing a ‘COVID Helpline for Cavelossim’ residents offering assistance in the form of an ambulance for testing or hospitalisation, a COVID medicine kit and free meals such as lunch and dinner for COVID positive patients.
“As COVID-19 positive cases are rising, five of us – Rosario Fernandes, Bosco Rodrigues, Dixon Vaz, Cruz Cardozo and myself – came together and formed a core committee and along with the panchayat, decided to help the COVID-19 stricken Cavelossim villagers with an ambulance facility. We also provide those in home isolation with free food sponsored by Hotel Novotel and Dona Sylvia as we have two or three volunteers in every ward in the village who distribute these food parcels. Also, the medicines are picked up from the Chinchinim PHC and given to those in home isolation,” said shack owner Roy Barretto.
