MARGAO
The institution had served the common man since its founder Fr Antonio Joao de Miranda, popularly revered as Padre Miranda who started Hospicio around a century and half ago.
Since then, Hospicio offered hope and solace for the common man in times of need as they turned to the oldest institution to their medical requirements. With government health centres and private hospitals all preoccupied and overburdened with the Covid-19 pandemic duties, Hospicio is doing what it had been doing since its inception 150 years ago “ catering to the health needs of the common man.
In fact, while many a health clinic and dispensaries remain shut and the private hospitals discharging Covid duties, Hospicio’s doors are all open for people from down South to meet their requirements.
Right from a routine checkup at the host of OPDs to emergency related cases at the casualty, apart from admissions, Hospicio is playing its own role, different from the Covid duties and responsibilities discharged by government and private hospitals.
While healthcare workers, from medical officers and doctors to nurses and para-medics are all overburdened with Covid work, Hospicio healthcare workers, be it the doctors and nurses reach out to the patients in their distress.
In normal circumstances, one does not see a rush of patients at the Hospicio during the peak summer season of May. In times of pandemic, however, and with other institutions engaged in Covid work, Hospicio has come in handy for the common man to meet their requirements.
Inquiry by The Goan revealed there’s been no dearth of patients visiting Hospicio in times of pandemic, with the doctors, nurses and para-medics all geared up to attend to the patients.
Senior Hospicio doctor Dr Eddie De Mello said there’s been a steady flow of patients at the Hospicio. “We have the regular patients as well as patients who are Covid suspects, who come to the hospital for their ailments,” he said, adding that the hospital provides non-stop service to the patients in need.
Hospicio Medical Superintendent Dr Deepa Correia said all the Hospicio’s OPDs are open, with the doctors attending to the patients as part of their routine duties. She, however, pointed out that only the non-emergency operations have been postponed in the month of May, while only emergency surgeries are carried out at the moment. “All the Hospicio OPDs are functioning as usual. Though the hospital used to normally see reduced number of patients in May because of the heat, we have seen regular flow of patients in the hospital,” Dr Correia added.
While the Directorate of Health Services has deputed its nurses to the Covid hospitals and for other Covid work, sources said the contract nurses have helped the hospital to tide over the situation for the moment.
