MAPUSA
Ports Minister Michael Lobo on Monday said only government hospitals were better equipped to treat Covid-19 patients and Goa Medical College and Hospital was the best among them.
He said the State government had to withdraw the notification to include Covid treatment under DDSSY as it would put pressure on private hospitals.
“The best treatment for Covid is in a government hospital. There is ESI hospital and then there are also the Covid care centres where patients are kept in isolation for a period of time. In these government hospitals, treatment takes place properly. GMC is the best. Every patient should go to GMC,” Lobo said.
When questioned that many of his colleagues, present and past MLAs preferred to take treatment in private hospitals, he said it was not right.
“Most of them took treatment in GMC. One or two may have gone to Manipal Hospital,” the minister said.
He said doctors in government hospitals have good experience about the line of treatment adopted for Covid-19 patients.
“The government doctors know the exact treatment to be adopted. A lot of our friends have become alright and returned home,” he said.
He blamed the patients for coming late to the government hospitals after he was confronted with reports that a lot of patients have died as government hospitals fell short of ventilators and other facilities.
“The deaths have happened because patients come to the government hospitals at the last minute. People go to private hospitals first and when things get worse for them there they are rushed to the GMC,” he snapped back.
On the government’s turnaround on the notification to include Covid treatment under DDSSY, he said people would have rushed to private hospitals for treatment thereby putting pressure on their infra.
“Everyone will run to the private hospitals. Since private hospitals have hardly 20 beds reserved for Covid treatment it would put stress on their facilities,” he said.
