MARGAO
Even as the government has come under the High Court scanner over the failure to meet the oxygen requirements of Covid patients resulting in high mortality rate, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has sought to attribute the deaths to the late admissions of patients to
the hospital.
Sawant reiterated that the mortality rate can come down within eight days if people visit the health centres and hospitals and start medication as per the guidance of the doctors.
He made a fervent plea to the citizens to go to the health centres for testing and to avail medicines under a doctor’s guidance instead of making a beeline at the pharmacies and medical stores to purchase strips of paracetamol.
Sawant was briefing the media after taking a review of the functioning of the South Goa district hospital with medical Superintendent Dr Deepa Correia and Nodal Officer Dr Rajesh Patil, South Goa Collector Ruchika Katyal.
“Our teams have compiled data which shows that 30 per cent of the dead were either brought dead or their lungs had collapsed. “There was little chance of their recovery,”
he added.
He added: “The mortality rate has gone up at the South Goa district hospital as well in the last few days. Again, the reason for the high mortality rate is late admissions of
the patients.”
Making a fervent plea to the people not to delay testing or availing medicines from the health centres, the Chief Minister also made a plea to pharmacists to guide the people to go for testing at the health centres.
“I do not say that people should not take paracetamol, but I have information that people are buying strips of paracetamol and other tables for Covid treatment. Instead, people should go to the nearest health centres and get free testing and medicines,” he said, adding that testing and home-isolation kits are provided free of cost at the health centres.
Saying that people with symptoms should visit the OPDs without delay, the Chief Minster said the mortality rate can come down within eight days if the people report early at the health centres and hospitals.
The Chief Minister commended the doctors, nurses and paramedics attached to the South Goa district hospital led by Dr Deepa Correia, Dr Rajesh Patil and the other personnel for taking care of the 530-odd patients at any given point of time.
