MARGAO
The ESI hospital, Margao seemed bracing up for any eventuality in view of Covid variant scare coming to haunt the State at a time when doctors and staff at the ESI were expecting a smooth return of ESI services at the hospital.
Till late Thursday, the ESI hospital management received no communique from the Health department to turn the hospital as a quarantine centre for the Covid positive patients returning from the UK. But, the ESI hospital management seemed bracing up for any scenario, even though the management was anxiously expecting the authorities to denotify the ESI hospital as a Covid hospital.
While the hospital will have no problems with the bed requirements as the hospital is equipped with adequate number of beds, barring a couple of beds required in the Intensive Care Unit. As far as the medical staff is concerned, though the doctors and para-medics deputed from the Health Services and Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim have all been relieved and back to their parent department, sources said the ESI medical officers and staff can take charge of the hospital to attend to the patients as a stop-gap arrangement, before the government makes the manpower arrangements to meet the requirements.
With no Covid patient being admitted in the hospital for a fortnight now, the ESI hospital is undergoing a clean-up operation, with workers being roped in to carry out painting as well as sanitise the building.
Says ESI Medical Superintendent, Dr Vishwajit Faldesai: “Till now, we have received no communique from the government to admit Covid positive persons, who have returned from the UK. But, we are all geared up to meet any eventuality, though we were all looking forward to resume our normal ESI operations at the hospital.”
It’s now 10 months since the ESI hospital was taken over by the district Collector, South for Covid duties, leaving the ESI beneficiaries in the lurch as they were left with no dedicated health care system.
“We are aware of the plight of the ESI beneficiaries after the ESI Hospital was notified as a Covid hospital in March last. We hope to resume the operations at the hospital for the ESI beneficiaries at the earliest,” remarked a senior Labour official.
