MARGAO
The ESI Covid hospital, which was shut down around four months ago, is back in action, playing host COVID care centre to as many as four patients.
Take note, the ESI hospital is presently designated as a COVID care centre with the existing COVID care centre at Fatorda almost reaching the stage of saturation. But, the ESI hospital has received an SOS to brace up for the rising number of COVID patients.
ESI Hospital Superintendent, Dr Vishwajit Faldesai said, “The top two floors can accommodate around 42 patients each on the two floors. We have received four asymptomatic patients on Monday”, he said.
Presently, asymptomatic patients are being attended by the ESI hospital officials and staff till the hospital gets reinforcement from the Directorate of Health Services and Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim.
'The Goan' understands that the ESI hospital management has received an SOS to keep the hospital ready as a back-up facility in view of the rising number of COVID admissions in the South Goa district hospital.
While agreeing to the government request, the ESI management, however, has sought additional manpower and logistics support to meet the requirements.
ESI sources informed that the management will make provision for only 181 beds in the hospital unlike last time when the hospital bed capacity was enhanced to 220.
“We want to create adequate space in the hospital and hence suggestion has been made to set up a 181 bedded COVID hospital if the situation arises. This will give us space to set up 22 ICU beds and around six dialysis beds in the hospital”, sources said.
It was in on March 16, 2020 that the ESI hospital was requisitioned by then South Goa district Collector, Ajit Roy as the state’s dedicated COVID hospital. It was initially used as a quarantine facility for passengers returning from abroad becoming into a full-fledged COVID hospital.
For nine months up to December 10, 2020, the ESI hospital had played host to around 2605 patients, registering an impressive 92 per cent recovery rate. The hospital had recorded around 214 deaths during the nine months when it had functioned as a COIVD hospital.
District hospital to be upgraded
MARGAO: With COVID admissions increasing by the day, the South Goa district hospital will be soon upgraded to a 350-bedded COVID hospital.
Margao urban health centre recorded around 30 fresh COVID cases in the last 24 hours, with sources saying the admissions of patients in the South Goa district hospital has almost reached a point of saturation.
Sources said since the South Goa district hospital was commissioned with a 150-bedded facility, the state health authorities has now told the hospital management to increase the bed capacity to 350 for the moment in view of the spike in COVID cases.
The Goan understands that the South Goa district hospital has a capacity accommodate as many as 500 patients, but the government in its wisdom has so far commissioned only 150 beds to accommodate COVID patients.
