MARGAO
Come Wednesday and Hospicio will shift its patients from the medicine wards to the South Goa district hospital.
If everything goes well, the Out Patient Department (OPDs) will be shifted to the district hospital during the weekend.
Hospicio doctors, however, are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping the predicted third wave does not become a reality. They said if the third wave strikes it will again force the government to shift the operations back to Hospicio like in the recent past.
Sources said all decks have been cleared for the shifting of the male and female medicine wards to the South Goa district hospital after the government gave its nod.
Unlike in the past, Hospicio need not arrange the beds at the South district hospital, with the available infrastructure more than enough to attend to any number of patients.
Hospicio Medical Superintendent, Dr Deepa Correia, informed that the hospital will start shifting the patients from the male and medicine female wards from Wednesday morning.
“The process of shifting the patients will start on Wednesday morning no sooner the patients have their breakfast and are administered the medicines. Along with the patients, we will be shifting the necessary equipment,” she added.
Health Director Dr Ira Almeida informed that the government has decided to shift the Hospicio operations to the district hospital in phases. “Since Covid cases have been declining by the day, the government has decided to shift the Hospicio operations to the district hospital,” Almeida said.
This is perhaps the third time since the South Goa district hospital was commissioned more than a year ago that Hospicio operations are being shifted to the imposing hospital building, only to return to square one during the second wave of Covid.
Dr Ira Almeida, during her stint as Hospicio Medical superintendent, had shifted the OPDs to the district hospital on the eve of monsoons last year. The operations were later shifted back following a spurt of Covid cases.
Similarly, the Hospicio male and female medicine wards were shifted to the district hospital, but the hospital was forced to bring these services back to the old building after the second wave raised its ugly head earlier this year.
Doctors, however, have hoped they are all going to the district hospital for good, praying that the third wave doesn’t strike. “Twice, we had to return to Hospicio after being shifted to the district hospital. We only hope that such a situation does not arise in the future,” remarked a doctor.
