MARGAO
Government-run and private hospitals in the city were packed with Covied patients on Thursday, leaving many other patients in the lurch, raising questions over the administration’s helplessness to tide over the situation.
A middle-aged man and his family from Rawanfond who had to return home disappointed realized the bitter after being told that both government and private hospitals have run out of beds in the commercial capital.
A close well-wisher of the family informed that they knocked the doors of a couple of city-based private hospitals but in vain. “They all told us there’s not a single bed available in their hospital for Covid or non-Covid treatmet”, he said.
The family then turned to the ESI hospital, Margao whose bed capacity strength was augmented to 234 beds just two days ago. To their shock and surprise, this government-run hospital was full with patients, with not a single bed available in the hospital.
The family tried to find out whether any beds are vacant at the South Goa district hospital and the reply came in the negative.
The situation only brings to the fore the acute bed shortage faced by patients in Margao despite the government enhancing the bed capacity of both the South Goa district hospital and the ESI hospital, throwing up the same old question why the government hasn’t yet opened the top two floors of the district hospital for the patients.
ESI hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Vishwajit Faldesai informed the Goan at 9 pm that the hospital was full on Thursday evening. “There were around 17 patients discharged on Thursday, besides two transfers, but the vacant beds were immediately filled by patients waiting outside the casualty”, he said.
To a query, Dr Faldesai said while the hospital has been grappling with the problem of beds, the hospital has somehow managed with the oxygen required for the patients. “As of today, we have adequate oxygen trolleys with the hospital which can take care of the patients admitted in the hospital”, he added.
