Team Herald
MARGAO: Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Sunday questioned Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on the government’s reluctance to utilise the two floors of South Goa District Hospital as COVID care facility when a nearby school was requisitioned as COVID care centre.
He said CM needs to answer why some private hospitals which are not operational are not taken over and converted into COVID facilities.
“With rising cases and an increasing number of deaths, people are frightened and feeling lost. The ‘insensitive’ BJP government has nothing to give them confidence. As the situation is grim, extending lockdown with strict enforcement is the only option left”, Kamat stated.
He demanded handing over the COVID management to a task force comprising experts from the civil society and army. “Enough is enough let us not play with the innocent lives anymore” he said.
He said, “We cannot rely anymore on the BJP government at the Centre as well as the State who remained in celebration mode throughout the year without creating any medical infrastructure and services. It is high time that a task force is constituted to handle the COVID Management and government takes a back seat.”
He feared that once the monsoon starts, things will become more challenging. “We need to anticipate frequent power cuts, road blockades and flooding which will seriously affect COVID management. Steps need to be taken on top priority for initiating preventive measures right now”, he urged.
“It is important that vaccines are procured on a war footing and vaccination drives are initiated with a target to complete the first dose by mid-July. The task force must be empowered with financial powers to take decisions in the best interest of the people,” he demanded.
He expressed displeasure over the PMO and CM for not taking his recommendation made in March 2020 to form a task force.
“CM must ensure that his announcements are implemented effectively. Even after 2 days of the govt announcing that COVID treatment will be given in private hospitals under DDSSY there are reports that no such order is received by the pvt hospitals. This is adding to the woes of the patients,” he added.
