- With 14 COVID deaths reported in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 303, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai has said that Goa now beats the country and the world in COVID-19 deaths.Expressing concern that Goa has surpassed the national and global COVID death per million average, Sardesai said “S
ometime back, our government had dished out statistics to prove that Goa’s COVID cases and the death rate was the lowest in the country. But, the 303 deaths till Monday means 150 odd/million when national average is 58 and world average 120”.He demanded to know how the government allowed Health Secretary Neela Mohanan when the government was on record to say that the COVID administration in Goa is in the safe hands. “This shows that the government is not in command of the situation. Ex-CM late Manohar Parrikar used to face similar situations when IAS officers were transferred, but he used to put his foot down”, he added.Meanwhile, a day after Health Minister Vishwajit Rane firmly ruled out making open the top two floors of the South Goa district hospital for COVID, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has insisted that the top two floors of the building should be put to use as a COVID care centre for the people of Fatorda and Margao.Sardesai also demanded full proof COVID testing, saying all testing facilities presently available at the Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim should be made available at the South district hospital.While welcoming the Health Minister’s assurance that he would not purse the private medical college proposal in times of COVID, the Fatorda MLA, however, said the government should tie all loose ends in the battle against COVID, including setting up a state of a art testing machine at the district hospital and provide the test reports within hours.Interacting with the media after planting saplings along the Old market-KTC bus stand road on Sunday, Sardesai said the people of Fatorda and Margao will not compromise on the demand to set up a COVID care centre on the top two floors of the South district hospital.“The Health Minster may say that these two floors have been modified with classrooms to house the classrooms for the nursing institute. This should not stop or come in the way of arranging beds in these classrooms. I feel that not just the top two floors of the South district hospital, but every government space should be utilized for COVID”, he said, while saying that he along with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat will inspect the district top two floors with Margao Municipal Councilors to explore the possibility of setting up a COVID care centre.
