Team Herald
MARGAO: Stating that Goa is in the grip of a COVID-tsunami at present, the Goa Forward Party (GFP) on Sunday said the State has already lost nearly 400 Goenkars in the last one month.
“On an average more than 2000 cases are added every day for the last several days. The average positivity rate is above 30 per cent. The critical healthcare system is totally stressed with shortage of beds, oxygen, life-saving medicines and equipment. The healthcare workers especially doctors and nurses are at a breaking point,” it said.
“In the given grim scenario, it is crucial that all of us rise above our differences to say in one voice: Enough is enough! We don’t want more Goenkars to die!” it said.
For this to happen, the GFP in consonance with the advice of Dr Anthony Fauci, the world’s foremost American expert on infectious diseases, has suggested the following urgent measures.
Immediate measures: Lockdown! Shutdown! Home-bound! Whatever you want to call it? Stop/minimize human interactions immediately for a few days (15 days) to stop the transmission and reduce the caseload.
“We must do whatever is possible to reduce the caseload at present which is the most urgent thing to reduce the load on the critical healthcare system and save lives of Goenkars”, the GFP said.
Intermediate measures: Ramp up infrastructure such as beds, oxygen, life-saving medicines, equipment, etc; recruit doctors, nurses and other critical personnel (even if retired) immediately, even if on a short-term or contract-basis; re-direct resources especially funds from non-essential heads.
“At present, nothing is more important than the lives of Goenkars, at present and requisition whatever is needed under the Disaster Management Act 2005,” it added.
Long-term measures: Vaccinate the vulnerable at the earliest within the next one month and vaccinate the 18-45 years old section on a systematic basis within the next three to six months depending on the availability of the vaccines.
GFP has appealed to all Goans to pressurize local MLAs to go for an immediate lockdown (at least for 15 days) to arrest the transmission of the virus and reduce the caseload and save lives of Goenkars. It has also urged to stop/minimise non-essential human interactions to stop the transmission of the virus. The party has appealed to all social/cultural/religious organizations to cancel/postpone all functions/events/services that have the potential of increasing the caseload.
“We appeal to all well-intentioned, concerned and responsible Goenkars that we all go for a Citizens Lockdown……A Stay Home! Stay Alive Campaign for the next 15 days as we cannot afford to lose more Goenkars at the altar of politics and economics,” it added.
