State’s Covid-19 testing capacity to be hiked: Goa CM

PANAJI: The number of Covid-19 positive cases in state has already crossed the 6,500 mark, but the state’s testing capacity stands at just 2,500 samples per day. Moreover, currently the state has a backlog of 1,600 samples for testing.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Monday held a meeting with health minister Vishwajit Rane and health officials over the Covid-19 situation. Later he said a slew of measures would be undertaken to tackle the situation, including increasing testing capacity and commissioning of a new plasma extraction machine.
Rane told reporters that the state’s Covid testing capacity needs to be hiked by at least another 1,500 samples. “I have discussed this with the chief minister and proposed that two to three more testing machines be set up at different places to reduce the load,” he said adding that there is already a backlog of samples for testing.
With the state seeing sudden spikes in positive cases, such as 300 cases a day, Rane said it is time to redirect the way the situation is being handled. Stating that a decision has been taken to put a lot of things in order, he said, “You will see the changes within a week.”
He also said that with a number of Covid patients dying due to comorbidity, the state is looking at treating these patients differently.
On the topic of plasma treatment, he said that two Covid-19 patients have already been given the treatment. “One is showing good improvement with regards to saturation of oxygen. We will give the other patient one more dose,” he said.
Rane appealed to those whose who have recovered from Covid-19 to donate their plasma. Rane said a new machine for this procedure would be commissioned soon.He also clarified that there is no proposal for establishing a second Covid hospital in the state.