The Health Department of Goa Government invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 on March 13 which empowered it to take special measures and prescribe regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With such great power come great responsibilities. Invocation of the Act opened numerous possibilities for the department to adopt proactive measures in tackling several issues plaguing the preventive strategy. However, the actions taken over the last week have left Goans wanting for more.
On March 16, for instance, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane convened a meeting with GMC HoDs to review preparedness and to formulate a plan of action. This was when he voiced for the first time the assurance about setting up a state-of-art virology laboratory in GMC premises “within a month”.
The following day, the announcement by Karnataka Department of Health about its 11th confirmed case of COVID-19 sent Goa’s health services into a tizzy. It was revealed that the 67 year-old female resident of Bengaluru returned by flight from Dubai via Goa. Initially, it was believed that 26 persons alighted from the flight at Goa. However, the Health Minister later announced that 48 persons got off the craft. Of these 48, five who were seated in close vicinity of the woman were immediately quarantined at government facilities, while 35 were home quarantined. But eight people “couldn’t be located”. Sources disclosed that one of these eight persons was former minister Francisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco, who not only refused to be quarantined but went about addressing public meetings for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat polls.
The health department continued to insist that it was keeping a vigil at all entry points even while domestic flights and some international flights carrying Indians working in foreign countries continued to fly back or transit through Goa.
The Health Department’s actions took a turn for the worse on the afternoon of March 18 when Health Minister Rane issued an official media statement on the basis of a hoax call about an alleged first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Goa only to retract it within 30 minutes. He unsuccessfully attempted to pass the blame over to a senior doctor from Goa Medical College and Hospital, who allegedly received the hoax call and called Rane directly without any confirmation. Interestingly, no arrests or even a formal complaint has been lodged by the GMC in this regard raising questions about the cause for this embarrassment. Addressing the media on the same evening, Rane disclosed that no domestic flights were scanned previously and announced that he would visit Goa International Airport at 2 am that night along with Health Services officials to monitor the scene himself. Reports continued to flow in about the complete absence of scanning or self-declaration protocol at the airport despite this gimmick.
Two days later, late on March 20, Section 144 was imposed in Goa by the state government to prevent gatherings of four or more persons and to encourage social distancing as per the guidelines on COVID-19.
It was only on Saturday that the borders were finally sealed, a promise that Rane has been repeating for over a week. With the exception of essential goods carriers and private vehicles carrying families, no vehicles will be allowed to ply across Goa’s borders till the measures are reviewed.
Meanwhile, the Health Department continues to appeal to the general public to cooperate and voluntarily opt for home quarantine if they are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms or if they have arrived from risky international or domestic travel in the last two weeks. At this juncture, self-reporting and community reporting of cases appears to be Goa’s last line of defence.
Pvt hospitals chip in
The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 allows the state health department to requisition its requirement from the 3,500-odd beds available in the private hospitals in Goa as the GMC has only six ventilators and 30 beds. Private hospitals have been directed to identify isolation facilities i.e. beds, private rooms, wards, as well as staff for the use of the Health Department if the need be. While the Health Department has convened one meeting with the private practitioners and hospitals and has been issuing guidelines and advisories to them regularly, each private hospital has adopted measures of its own based on inputs from World Health Organization and Indian Medical Association-Goa.
Healthway Hospital holds regular sessions with its staff to ensure preventive practices are in place and to regularly update the staff about new developments. A reporting system has been put in place for early detection of suspected cases and the staff members are themselves screened regularly to pick up early symptoms of the disease and those who display even minor symptoms are asked to stay home for recovery. Safety measures such as masks and hand sanitizers have been provided to each employee for protection from infection.
Dr Noel Britto, Medical Superintendent of Healthway Hospital, stated, “The isolation and ICU facilities for COVID-19 patients are being prepared. We are ready to accept COVID-19 patients for management after government directives”. He informed that protocols for patient management, in case of suspected cases, is also being worked on.
Manipal Hospital has also put in place a strict internal protocol to prevent a contagion on its premises. Senior oncology consultant at Manipal Hospital Dr Shekhar Salkar informed that all the nurses have been trained and that every employee has been given a face mask. Hand sanitizing liquid kept at the entrance of every consulting room and patients’ areas. Thermal guns are being used at the entrance. “We have set up a separate OPD entrance for suspected or symptomatic cases and a dedicated ambulance with trained staff has been readied to transport any suspects to GMC. We continuously update the staff about guidelines issued by the health department as well as the World Health Organization,” Dr Salkar informed. At present, Manipal Hospital has identified five beds and dedicated manpower to handle suspected cases if called upon by the Health Department. Mock drill has also been undertaken to this end, it is learnt.
While a majority of the private medical service institutions have agreed to cooperate with the government in these trying times, reports have surfaced of certain prominent hospitals refusing to admit suspected cases of COVID-19 as per government directions. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has made it known that the government will not think twice before cancelling the licences of such hospitals. A show-cause notice is likely to be issued to the Margao-based well-known hospital.
