MARGAO
Amid the fear of Delta variant, the Margao railway station saw a dangerous rush of passengers around noon, with around four trains chugging in at the station one after another due to a derailment of a train on the Konkan Railway route.
The unexpected rush at the station resulted in Covid norms going for a toss.
Swab collection and testing returned to the Margao railway station again, this time with the District Collector, South Ruchika Katyal, IAS taking no chances with the visitors against the backdrop of the High Court order.
Anticipating a rush of passengers alighting at the station, Sub-divisional Magistrate Margao John Fernanded alerted Hospicio authorities to beef up the testing centre at the Nehru stadium to clear the rush of passengers.
While a team of health officials is stationed at the Margao railway station round the clock to collect the swabs from the passengers, teams of revenue officials are also deputed at the station and working in shifts for the last couple of days.
Take note, while the health team deployed at the railway station is equipped with the facilities to collect the swabs upon payment of fees, the District Collector has kept two KTC buses ready outside the railway station to transport passengers to the swab collection centre at the Nehru stadium, Fatorda, in case of a rush.
Hospicio Medical Superintendent Dr Deepa Correia informed that the health department has supported the Collector’s initiative by deputing teams from the health department for the collection of swabs.
Deputy Collector John Fernandes said, “Our teams are working in shifts depending on the arrival of the trains. The passengers are charged a fee amounting to Rs 275 for swabs.”
Fernandes pointed out that only in the event of a rush of passengers leading to a strain on logistics, they are ferried in the KTC buses to the Nehru stadium, which plays host to a swab collection centre attached to the South Goa district hospital.
While the swab collection exercise will ensure that passengers sans negative
certificates will have to undergo the testing, sources in the know informed that the process comes under strain when long-distance trains coming from the eastern region make a halt at the Margao railway station.
