Team Herald
Panjim: Huge rush was witnessed outside Out-Patient Departments (OPD) at Goa Medical College (GMC), as it resumed the operations from Tuesday, over a month after it was shut, in view of COVID pandemic. Following directions from Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the State granted permissions to resume all OPDs at GMC, Community Health Centres (CHC), Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Urban Health Centres (UHC), with 50% patient load.
“In keeping with the MHA orders and our protocols, we have started OPDs today at GMC. Necessary precautions have been taken and citizens visiting the hospitals are strictly adhering to our norms such as wearing masks, social distancing, etc,” Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.
With huge backlog, patients had lined-up from early morning for the appointments. “It was difficult to manage the patients, but we ensured that only 50% patient load is taken,” a doctor said.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister on Monday held an interactive session with all the heads of depts of GMC and health officers of Directorate of Health Services to chalk out a plan with all standard operating procedures in place and measures to be taken in view of COVID-19, with commissioning of OPDs.
Rane said that the meeting finalized a plan to build a temporary Flu OPD outside each CHCs, PHCs and GMC. He said that necessary protective gear and equipment will be provided. “Goa is united in the fight against COVID-19 and concurrently, we are committed to providing quality healthcare to the non-COVID patients in the State,” he added.
GMC Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar said that on Tuesday total 360 patients were registered and treated. “All OPDs have been open. We have taken all the precautions. Thermal gun scanning of patients is done,” he said.
