PANAJI
Health officials were on their toes at Goa Medical College and Hospital on Monday morning checking on the premier health institution's preparedness to deal with eventualities in the face of an upsurge of Covid-19 cases.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said there was no need to fear or panic as all protocols set by the Union health ministry were being followed to the tee.
Rane also said, although the State was reporting more than 100 cases a day regularly over the last several days, none of the patients admitted due to Covid were either on oxygen support or other life-support.
After a review last weekend, the Union health ministry directed states across the country to hold mock drills at their Covid facilities to review their emergency preparedness to deal with any eventuality.
Rane said the GMC is also activating the Genome Sequencing machine at the GMC besides adopting the protocol of getting all in-patients in government facilities tested for Covid compulsorily.
The in-patients are being tested with antigen testing but if necessary, RT-PCR tests will also be done, Rane added.
“Goa is ready to fight the Covid battle yet again. We have taken strict measures in light of previous experiences," Rane said, adding that all issues are being addressed.
Fresh cases
Meanwhile, 69 new cases were reported from the 400 samples tested in the 24-hour reporting period of Sunday-Monday.
The State also saw 65 recoveries and its active Covid caseload marginally climb to 780. Four more patients were admitted to the ward at GMC.
