MARGAO
A day after the South Goa district hospital was commissioned as a Covid hospital by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, the hospital played host to five patients, who were all shifted from the ESI Covid hospital on Sunday.
Health officials, however, told The Goan that it will take days for the situation at the new Covid hospital to stabilize before the district hospital starts admitting critically ill patients.
The five patients from the ESI hospital, Margao, were shifted to the district hospital as their health condition was found moderate.
While a question or two will be raised why only five patients were shifted to the new Covid hospital, doctors at the ESI hospital, however, pointed out that it will take some time to convince the patients, though with mild and moderate ailments, that they are on the way to recovery and their shifting to the new hospital will in no way affect their treatment.
The ESI doctor, however, said that shifting of the mild and moderately infected patients to the district Covid hospital will help create space in the ESI hospital for critically ill patients.
Health officials informed that though the new district hospital has been notified as a Covid hospital, critically ill patients will be admitted for treatment after some time.
“This is a totally new hospital, where the facilities are being put in place. No doubt, the hospital plays host to many a facility, including Intensive Care Units (ICUs), but we should get dedicated doctors, including anesthetists to monitor the facility round-the-clock,” informed a senior doctor.
While the new district hospital has a Covid casualty in place, sources in the know said that the hospital will for some days admit patients from the ESI hospital or patients with mild and moderate ailment.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had on Saturday commissioned the new district hospital as a 150-bedded Covid hospital, with a promise that the government will increase the beds to 350 in the future. The Health Minister said the Goa Medical College hospital Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar has placed orders for 200 more beds for the district Covid hospital.
A pool of around 45 doctors from both the Goa Medical College and Directorate of Health Services, besides around 70 nurses are expected to be drafted for Covid work in the new district hospital. The government has already requisitioned the Colva Residency for the doctors, besides two other hotels in Colva to accommodate the paramedics and multi-task staff, who will be drafted for duties in the new hospital.
