PANJIM: To ensure adequate care for seriously ill patients, the State government is procuring 200 ventilators, which is in addition to the existing 8 that are functional in the COVID-19 isolation ward.
Goa has received five confirmed cases of COVID-19 while suspected patients are under strict medical observation at different quarantine facilities.
The government on Monday submitted a detailed list of measures undertaken to tackle the disease, during a hearing into a petition by two law graduates on the medical preparedness of the State before the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
“Eight dedicated ventilators are functional in the COVID isolation ward and 200 additional ventilators are being procured to ensure adequate care for the seriously ill COVID patients. Forty two ventilators are available in hospitals from the private sector. At this stage, it may be noted that ventilators are not required for majority of the patients and only in the case of seriously ill patients with respiratory failure, the same have to be used,” said Advocate General Devidas Pangam, in a detailed submission made before the bench of Justice Mahesh Sonak.
The government claimed that various steps on complete medical preparedness has already been taken as work in this direction started even before any positive cases were detected in Goa. “The medical administration has already rolled out various measures and has been continuously working to streamline the set up which is required for COVID-19,” he said.
At GMC, Pangam said a system of filtering flu patients is in place to direct the flu cases to OPD 30 and to avoid entry of COVID cases into the GMC Casualty and wards. N95 masks, gloves and sanitizers have been provided to all doctors discharging the screening duty. Confirmed COVID-19 cases are referred to the isolation wards in Ward number 113 and Ward number 115 are for suspected cases. Each of these two wards has a capacity to handle 30 patients.
Pangam also informed the High Court that the government has designated 100-bedded ESI hospital at Margao as a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. This has three ventilators and more will be provided depending on the requirement. The court was also informed that none of the five infected patients are critically ill.
“The administration has already taken necessary measures and is constantly working towards upgrading and improving the system. Without allowing the administration the time and breathing space to put everything in place and also without raising the issue with the concerned authorities, the practice of directly filing immediate petitions should not be resorted to,” the government reply further said. The court thereafter disposed of the petition.
