PANAJI
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday admitted that Goa is running short of 8,000 to 10,000 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen per day. He who had been denying this ground reality over the last month, made the statement in a conversation with a national news channel, CNBC-TV18.
The disclosure comes a day after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant paid a formal visit to all top Covid facilities in the state to inspect the oxygen supply and management. He assured that the government has made arrangements for the next two months.
He was also questioned about the abnormally high rate of positivity in Goa which is almost 45 per cent against the 21-odd per cent national average.
Speaking about the oxygen supply shortage in Goa’s Covid facilities, Rane stated, “We are trying to manage the situation in Goa with what has been allocated by the Centre and we are running short of close to 8,000-10,000 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen per day. We have taken this up with the Government of India and hopefully, they will respond positively.”
The Health Minister, however, swiftly brushed aside a direct query about the high positivity rate in Goa after quickly confirming the trend and instead, explained that the government is trying to get commissioned the oxygen generation plants sanctioned to the State earlier.
Lastly, Rane said that the state will be able to gain clarity on the Covid vaccination drive for the 18-44 years age group category only after receiving a response from Serum Institute of India or Bharat Biotech about the availability of doses.
Meanwhile, Sawant expressed serious concern about the list of deceased persons. “It is very painful to see that, in today’s Covid 19 mortality in Goa, 12 patients expired within 24 hours of admission and two were brought dead to the hospital. It is my humble request to the people of Goa to visit your nearest Government hospital for testing and start the medication immediately on getting symptoms,” tweeted the official handle of CM Sawant.
GMC INTERNS: Health Minister reiterated his commitment to resolving one of the grievances listed by Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) and stated that the department is looking for rope in 130-odd interns from Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.
“To further augment our healthcare facilities, we are looking at roping in 130 odd interns from GMC. This will enhance our strength in combating the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak in the state,” he tweeted.
