the goan I network
MARGAO
Hospicio hospital on Wednesday referred three persons, who had come down from Abu Dhabi to Goa on Tuesday, to the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim as suspected coronavirus cases.
In another development, Hospicio has opened a dedicated Out Patient Department (OPD) No 11 at the Hospicio for people with travel history and contact with people with coronavirus symptoms to undergo screening and test.
Sources in the government hospital informed that the family of three, comprising of husband, wife and child had travelled from Abu Dhabi to Goa on Wednesday. The family, which hails from South Goa, visited the Hospicio after they had showed signs of symptoms of cold and cough. After they were subjected to preliminary medical subjection, the trio were all referred to the GMC, Bambolim as a precautionary measure.
Sources at the Hospicio hospital said that the three-member family have all been referred to the GMC, Bambolim as a precautionary measure since they had the symptoms of cold and cough besides travel history.
This is the second instance wherein coronavirus suspected cases were referred to the GMC, Bambolim from Hospicio. Last time round, a person, who had come down to Goa by train from Delhi after visiting Nepal, was quarantined at the GMC for treatment, with officials later heaving a sigh of relief after the test had come negative.
Meanwhile, Hospicio medical Superintendent, Dr Ira Almeida has said that the hospital has opened OPD No 11 for people with travel history and those who had come in contact with people. “These people with the symptoms and travel history will be seen in the OPD No 11, which is a dedicated OPD set up on the ground floor of the hospital to the extreme right as one enters the hospital”, she said. The OPD N0 11 was earlier set up as a dedicated OPD when there was an outbreak of swine flu. Meanwhile, Hospicio has set up a six-bedded ward at the TB hospital atop Monte Hill to take care of coronavirus cases. Dr Ira, however, said two more wards are getting ready at the TB hospital, including the one which was opened during the swine flu scare.
“The room, which was occupied by a doctor, has been opened up for the authorities to convert the same into a makeshift ward for coronavirus cases”, she added.
