Maina Curtorim doctor tests positive for COVID

Margao/Panaji: A doctor based at Maina Curtorim has tested positive for the COVID-19 pandemic, perturbing the villagers who are on their toes owing to the village recording COVID cases.

Maina Curtorim has seen a total of eight  COVID cases in the last four days.

Health officer of Curtorim PHC, Dr Vallabh Nadkarni said that people have been pressing him to subject them to the COVID test.

“On Wednesday, we took 50 throat swabs of the people who include the immediate neigbours and patients who had visited the doctor recently,’’ Dr Nadkarni said.

It is understood that the COVID positive doctor is the only medical practitioner in the area and the villagers usually go to him only.

“The people of Maina Curtorim are worried as their family doctor has tested positive. Now, there is a strong possibility of the virus spreading to other localities. Hence we demand that the panchayat should impose a lockdown,” a villager said.

However, the Curtorim panchayat once against refused to put the village under lockdown.  It must be noted here that Raia has recorded second COVID positive case. A middle-aged man from Manora Raia tested positive for the virus on Tuesday. The man had come in contact with the person who had tested positive for the disease on Monday.

Health secretary Nila Mohanan clarified that the case of the private medical practitioner from Maina Curtorim who has tested positive is different from that of the particular doctor from Mangor Hill.