the goan I network
PANAJI
Panjimites who were going about doing their daily chores on 18th June Road on a Tuesday morning were in for a pleasant surprise when they noticed a crowd gathered around the Urban Health Center just opposite Cafe Aaram. It was the inauguration of the Emergency Care Center (ECC) run by GVK EMRI, the third of its kind in the state.
The ECC, a government of Goa initiative, was inaugurated by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, and Chairman of the EDC Sidharth Kuncalienkar.
Rane explained that the ECC was set up to help people who needed a clinic in an emergency situation. “Especially in case of a night emergency, we didn’t want people to wonder which doctor to call and where to go,” he said, while stating that if facilities were provided, people would use them.
Kuncalienkar in his turn explained that the ECC was set up as Panjimites had been asking for a facility for emergency and trauma cases for a long time - ever since the GMC was shifted to Bambolim.
The three-bedded ECC is a center where people can walk into for stabilisation. Patients will not be admitted at the Center. After stabilisation, they will be shifted to GMC. It is a free service. Currently, it will be open for 12 hours from 8 am to 8 pm. Equipped with a ventilator, defibrillator, oxygen cylinder, the ECC is like a mini operation theater that has all the necessary medical equipment and medicines.
Head of Operations of GVK EMRI Purti Patkar told The Goan that the Center could become a 24-hour clinic as early as October 1.
“We’re just testing the waters right now. We want to see what kind of cases we get and accordingly make it a 24 hour service, maybe by October 1,” said Patkar. Currently, the Center has one doctor, one advanced Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and one attender. “Once it becomes a 24 hour service, the staff will double,” said Patkar.
GVK EMRI, who runs the 108 helpline, will post one cardiac ambulance and one bike ambulance at the ECC as of now.
