MARGAO
In times of Covid-19 pandemic, this commercial project in Cuncolim that was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant just before the municipal polls will play host to patients instead of business and commerce.
And the reason is not far too seek. With the Cuncolim municipal area witnessing a surge in Covid cases, with a couple of deaths reported from the town, a 24-bedded Covid care centre manned by the Balli Primary Health Centre personnel has been sanctioned for Cuncolim on a priority basis.
That the commercial building has been okayed for the Covid care centre became apparent on Saturday morning when the premises was inspected by Cuncolim MLA, Clafacio Dias, Balli PHC health officer Dr Mamata Kakodkar and Salcete Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar.
After the inspection, it was decided that the building could be utilized to set up an initial 24-bed capacity Covid care centre and gradually increase the strength as per the ground situation.
While the building space has got the stamp of approval from the Health Officer, the centre can start functioning no sooner the government drafts doctors, nurses and paramedics to man the centre. “The building offers ample space for the centre. After the inspection, we have approved the commercial building for a Covid care centre. I have listed out the requirements, including doctors, nurses and paramedics to run the centre,” informed Dr Kakodkar.
She added: “In order to provide the best treatment to the patients housed in the Covid care centre, we had to make arrangements for a round-the-clock doctor, besides para-medical staff. I will send a detailed list to the government on priority.”
The Health Officer conceded that there’s a surge in Covid cases in the Cuncolim municipal area in the second wave as compared to other areas coming under the centre. “People should not move around in public places during the lockdown. We have to break the chain otherwise the situation will go out of control,” Dr Kakodkar warned.
Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias said that he has personally requested the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to set up the Covid care centre at Cuncolim in view of the rising number of cases in the Cuncolim municipal area and the shortage of beds at the South Goa district hospital and the ESI hospital.
“At least, let us start the Covid care centre with 24-beds so that people of Cuncolim need not go to Margao for hospitalization. I have decided to provide an ambulance for Covid work in Cuncolim. As far as the oxygen supply is concerned, since Cuncolim has an oxygen plant, we should not have to worry about its supply,” he said, while exuding confidence that the government will sanction the manpower required to run the facility.
With the NUSI hospital at Panzorconne-Cuncolim down in the dumps, the Goan had earlier this week raised questions whether a Covid centre could be set up in the commercial building to alleviate hardships faced by the people. Former Cuncolim municipal chairperson Polita Carneiro had taken up the issue of opening the commercial complex for a Covid care centre to give relief to the people with cases on the rise in the Cuncolim municipal area.
