PANAJI
Alarmed by the Covid-19 mortality and to ease the pressure on the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) the State government has now covered it among the diseases under the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSY) universal health insurance scheme.
Covid-19 treatment will now be covered under the DDSSY health insurance Scheme of Goa Government. For patient with moderate symptoms cost of Rs 4,600 will be paid under the scheme with provision of Rs 64,400 for a 14 day package. For patients with severe symptoms Rs 6,600 will be paid per day with Rs 92,400 earmarked for 14 day package. A notification to this effect was issued by the govt on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the government's decision to bring Covid-19 in the bouquet of diseases covered under the DDSY scheme, officials believe will encourage people to get themselves admitted to hospitals before it is too late.
The high costs of Covid treatment was a major deterrent for those testing positive to seek hospital treatment from the private health sector with GMC&H already overburdened.
On Thursday, the number of deaths caused by the dreaded virus kept rising by seven to 484. It included a 38-year-old man who had no known history of any other ailment.
The man died within a day of being admitted to the Goa Medical College & Hospital at Bambolim from Covid induced pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the bulletin said.
Contrastingly, former minister Harish Zantye (85) won his battle against Covid and staged a notable recovery.
The multiple term legislator, minister and also member of Parliament, was discharged and returned home from Manipal hospital on Thursday.
Meanwhile, another 432 more Covid-19 cases were added to Goa's tally of confirmed cases and a marginally higher number of 458 people were declared cured.
