SMRC’s VM Salgaocar Hospital, Chicalim like many other private hospitals has done a noteworthy job during the time of the pandemic to cater to the CoVID19 patients from Goa.
As per the information provided by this hospital’s Dr Anil Mehndiratta, SMRC’s VM Salgaocar Hospital has built a dedicated unit for COVID-19 patients. Here CoVID19 symptomatic patients with moderate to severe infection are being treated. The ward, which was locked, has been converted into a COVID unit, in which 17 beds consisting of twin sharing and single beds are available. In this unit, 3 separate rooms have been kept for isolation. As per the government’s order, 20 per cent of beds have been kept for COVID-19 patients.
Dr Anil further informed that this unit has a 17-bed capacity and these beds are occupied regularly on and off due to several cases of COVID infection being detected. So far, around 45 and an odd number of CoVID19 symptomatic patients have been treated in this facility, have recovered from the infection.
When asked about the hurdles being faced by the medical staff while treating the COVID-19 patients, Dr Anil said that the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and safety gears for the nurses, medical practitioners who attend COVID patients are expensive and are required on a daily basis.
“There is also shortage of medicines, which is being used in the treatment of the COVID-19 patients. Therefore the medicines have to be procured from outside” Dr Anil added.
Later when asked to give his viewpoint on the shortage of beds and other facilities, he felt that this aspect needs to be given more attention.
“I would like to request the government to start accepting COVID-19 sample from the private hospitals, so that the doctors can get the test results faster and on the basis of the test results coming back quickly, the medical treatment to the patient could be given. Also more beds are needed as per the cases in Goa. Further, more laboratories and testing facilities should get government approval to conduct COVID-19 tests.
On a concluding note, Dr Anil said,
“After Ganesh Chaturthi vacation the COVID-19 cases have increased. But I would really like to appreciate the nurses and other medical staff as because of them; the COVID unit from the hospital is running fine. The hospital management is also equally to be given credit. They kept their trust in me for building a COVID unit in here” Dr Anil added.
Meanwhile, a source from the SMRC’s V. M Salgaocar hospital also revealed that the application made by the SMRC’s hospital to the state government to conduct ‘Rapid Antigen tests for COVID-19’ has been granted and is subjected to 9 conditions, which are mentioned in the letter signed by the Director of Health Services ( Government of Goa).
