MARGAO
It was Thursday morning. Perhaps for the first time since March 16, one could not come across any hectic activity in and around Margao’s ESI hospital “ the State’s dedicated Covid hospital.
ESI Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Vishwajit Faldesai and his team that successfully handled the Covid patients along with health workers from the health services and GMC, Bambolim were holed up inside the hospital, but were preoccupied with administrative work than with any patients.
In fact, Dr Faldesai and team were engaged in the exercise of relieving the doctors and staff of the health services and the GMC, Bambolim who had all been deputed to the ESI hospital to take care of the patients during the last nine months.
Reason: The ESI hospital, Margao no longer plays host to Covid patients with the government strengthening the South district hospital as a dedicated Covid hospital. The last patient undergoing treatment at the ESI hospital had passed away Wednesday night and Covid patients requiring hospitalisation are now being referred to district hospital.
Dr Faldesai told The Goan that the ESI hospital, Margao played host to around 2,605 patients during the last nine months, saying the hospital registered an impressive 92 per cent recovery rate. “The hospital recorded around 214 deaths during the last nine months. We administered to the patients the treatment as per the protocol in place. Patients were administered plasma as well as Remdesivir drug,” he added.
He thanked the doctors and staff of the ESI hospital as well as the doctors, staff and health care workers of the Health Services and the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim for unitedly taking up the Covid challenge in the last nine months.
The 50-bedded ESI hospital was requisitioned by the South Goa district Collector, Ajit Roy on March 16 and was immediately notified as a quarantine centre for passengers returning from abroad. By March 25, the ESI hospital was notified as the State’s dedicated Covid hospital, playing host to Covid patients from across the State.
By April, the bed capacity of the ESI hospital was increased to 100 and then to 150 before the total bed capacity was capped at 220. During this period, the hospital had played host to babies born to Covid mothers, who were initially housed in the hospital.
