PANAJI
The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) on Saturday committed a major blunder in its mortality bulletin by failing to give a clear number of Covid deaths which occurred in the state over the last 24 hours.
The DHS initially issued a mortality bulletin listing 54 Covid deaths. However, in less than an hour, it issued a “corrected” mortality bulletin listing only 40 deaths by reducing the number of deaths which occurred at Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim from 38 to 24. “Due to technical glitch in the portal, there were 14 deaths that occurred between April 29 and 30 at GMC which have been declared on Saturday,” the DHS explained. The nature of the “technical glitch” was not elaborated upon.
However, it is pertinent to note that only 27 of these 54 deaths occurred on May 1 while 18 were recorded on April 30. Five deaths were recorded on April 29 and one each on April 24, 26, 27
and 28.
As per the corrected bulletin listing 40 Covid deaths, 12 deaths occurred at South Goa District Hospital, 24 at GMC, one patient was brought dead to Primary Health Centre in Madkaim, two deaths at North Goa District Hospital and one death at a North Goa private hospital.
The total Covid victim count now stands at 1,222.
Reacting to the disorganized and callous manner in which the Health Department has handled the responsibility, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat stated, “The goof up between 54 and 40 Covid deaths in Goa by the irresponsible BJP government pops up another window of blunder by the insensitive government. It is clear that they tried to hide 14 deaths yesterday. Why? How many times in the past have they done it? Goa CM must answer.”
Meanwhile, a total 2,303 of the 5,897 samples tested positive for Covid-19. While the daily positivity rate stood at 39 per cent, the active count of Covid cases in the state has risen to 23,884.
