PANJIM: The panicked hunt for hospital beds has become a recurring scene across hospitals as Goa battles second wave of the deadly COVID-19.
As cases are shooting up, there is acute shortage of oxygen beds and regular beds for COVID patients.
The social media platforms are flooded with requests for a bed, particularly in government-run hospitals. Frantic calls to politicians, doctors, journalists and anyone who can help with a bed for COVID-19 patients are also unending.
Family of a co-morbid patient, in her 70s, ran from pillar to post to find her an oxygen bed. She did get after lying on the floor for around two days. But in a span of around four days, the staff shifted her to another ward, that too on a stretcher.
Upset family, who had also tested positive for COVID-19, pleaded to the authorities to give her a bed. But the experience was ugly in the new ward where the staffers were allegedly not being cooperative.
“One bed in ward number 138 was vacant but the staff didn’t bother to shift my mother on to the bed. My brother shifted her from the stretcher on the bed. The worst thing for anyone is that they didn’t put my mother on oxygen from 4 pm to 6.30 pm till he came over. The doctors abused my brother and refused to give a new oxygen mask,” the patient’s son said recalling the ordeal.
He admitted that “doctors are doing a great job but some neither have emotions nor do they wish to save people.”
He explained that his mother is on recovery mode but one wrong step could take her back to danger zone.
The doctors said they are trying their best to treat every single patient but there are no beds and oxygen supplies for many patients are flooding in.
The situation is so dire amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that – also conceded by the government – patients are lying on the floor, stretchers and even wheelchairs.
In another example, media entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi who along with her team is fielding COVID-related query and requirements, was looking for an ICU bed.
“Out & abt right now, trying to get a ICU bed for a Delhiite in Goa who was on a workation & now has covid, and we can’t find a single covid care bed also anywhere. Knows no one, is alone. STOP COMING TO #GOA FOR WFH FOR SOME WEEKS PLS. THIS STATE JUST CANNOT… Photos of your laptop & beer with the backdrop of the beach can wait. Abhi log hospitals mein zameen par oxygen laga kar so rahe hai,” she tweeted in a two-thread message.
As government attempts to increase bed capacity, doctors state that they are not turning away any patients.
“We are admitting every patient in need of treatment. Unlike in some private hospitals where patients are turned away due to shortage of beds, we are not doing so. This has also led to shortage of beds but as these fall vacant either due to demise of any patient or recovery, new patients are accommodated,” the doctor at GMC said.
GMC being a tertiary hospital is also taking care of non-COVID-19 patients, as a result of which the burden on doctors and the infrastructure has mounted. “Certain wards do have patients on the floor and it was seen even before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Non-COVID-19 patients keep coming in and hence there is extra burden on the hospital,” the doctor said.
In yet another instance, an inquiry emerged on Twitter seeking to know status of GMC beds. “My Cousin is waiting outside since last 3 hours! CT scan done and now they asked him to wait … endless !! His health deteriorating every passing minutes!” the Twitter user posted.
Amidst tough times, Goa is also recording admission of patients who were holidaying in the State. There have been requests on social media that people stop travelling considering rise of COVID-19 cases and burden on medical infrastructure.
