MARGAO
It was 9 pm on Tuesday. Inquiries were made from outside whether any beds were lying vacant in the ESI hospital, Margao on late evening and quick came the reply from inside that the hospital was full with patients.
In fact, an official said that 234 out of 234 beds were occupied by patients at 9 pm. In fact, a patient was fortunate enough to get in admission just before 9 pm, with an official saying that the hospital is full with not a single bed available for any more patients. The situation implies that patients, who make it to the ESI hospital with the hope of getting inside later tonight or in the wee hours of Wednesday will not get any admission for want of beds.
ESI hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Vishwajit Faldesai expressed his helplessness in the matter. “Today, we discharged around 28 patients, but an equal number of patients were given admissions immediately. We have already expanded the bed position by making the hospital 234-bedded,” he said.
At the height of the Covid pandemic during the first wave, the ESI hospital bed strength was increased to 220 from 60 beds after the hospital was notified as a Covid hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr Faldesai had denied that the hospital had faced oxygen shortage later Monday night, saying the hospital has adequate supply of oxygen to cater to the needs of the patients. “Yesterday, we had received cylinders from Cuncolim. The SDM, Margao Jyoti Kumar is personally monitoring the oxygen supply to the hospital,” he said, adding that the hospital has sufficient oxygen to meet the requirements of the patients for the moment.
