Team Herald
PANJIM: Directorate of Health Services has begun releasing the vaccination status of patients losing the battle to COVID-19. In its daily bulletin on Friday, of 12 deaths reported in 24 hours, 10 patients – eligible for vaccine – had not taken the jab, while one patient from Goa’s neighbouring district Sindhudurg was not eligible due to his age. Details of another patient from Bardez, aged 49, were not available with the department.
Ten deaths including the 24-year-old youth were reported at Goa Medical College, while one each was reported at the South Goa District Hospital and Primary Health Centre, Betki. Of five patients who died within 24 hours of admission, two had COVID-19 symptoms six days prior to being admitted to the hospital, while one asymptomatic patient was brought dead to the PHC but was in close contact with a COVID-19 positive patient.
The government is currently undertaking a vaccination drive for persons aged 45 and above, and is soon to launch the same for all above 18 years of age.
The health bulletin, of past 24 hours, reported 1410 new cases taking the positivity rate to 39.37 per cent. The cases were detected out of 3607 samples tested during this period.
The active cases have also jumped to 11,040 with the State reporting a cumulative 73,644 cases since the pandemic broke out last year. In the last four days, Goa has crossed over 4,000 new cases as over 1,000 cases have being reported daily.
Alike other States, there is a rush for hospital beds in Goa as well, besides requirement for oxygen beds and plasma. As per Thursday’s press briefing, the bed capacity across government and private hospitals were 1060, of which 957 were occupied. In the last 24 hours, 146 new patients were hospitalised clearly indicating the need for more beds for the COVID-19 patients.
The government has already admitted that several patients are either on the floor, stretcher or wheelchairs, owing to acute shortage of beds. It has also come to the fore that some patients – after completing barely a few days of treatment in the GMCH – are shifted from the bed to the floor, stretcher or wheelchair to accommodate new patients.
