MARGAO
Thursday turned out a different day for ESI hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Vishwajit Faldesai and his team of doctors, paramedics and health care workers at the state’s lone ESI hospital.
Unlike the last 15 months, the Medical Superintendent was seated in his office, no longer handling issues relating to Covid, but was attending to the beneficiaries covered under the Employees State Insurance (ESI), marking the return of normal operations at the ESI hospital on Thursday.
In fact, after a gap of 15-long months, Out Patient Department (OPD) operations resumed at the ESI hospital on Thursday morning. There was no rush of patients, but a few beneficiaries who turned up at the hospital were attended to by the doctors and paramedics.
In fact, day one of the resumption of normal functioning of the ESI hospital, Margao saw around 55 patients availing the OPD facility on Thursday.
Dr Vishwajit pointed out that normal functioning of the ESI hospital is expected to fall in place in the coming days after the ESI beneficiaries comes to know of the reopening of the hospital.
“Most of our doctors and paramedics were in the hospital on Thursday as we have resumed our normal functioning. It will take some time to stabilize the situation”, he said.
The ESI hospital, Margao was notified as Goa’s first Covid hospital on March 16, 2022 when then South Goa district Collector Ajit Roy requisitioned two floors of the hospital under the Disaster Management Act to deal with the Covid situation. On March 25 again, the entire hospital was requisitioned for Covid duties before the Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim was notified as a Covid hospital.
To a question, Dr Vishwajit said though the hospital has been shut down for Covid operations, the ESI hospital will maintain a Flu OPD, besides a suspect ward in the hospital as a matter of caution.
During the first Covid wave, the ESI had handled around 3000 patients and had posted 93 per cent recovery rate. In the second wave, the hospital admitted around 1500 persons, with the hospital recording only 21 deaths, posting an impressive 98 per cent recovery rate.
“Around 900 doctors, paramedics, besides housekeeping and other staffers has worked in the hospital since March till June 30”, he said, while sympathizing with the ESI beneficiaries, who turned out an inconvenienced lot as they could not avail the benefits in the hospital during the last 15 months.
