Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant Tuesday said that it is the responsibility of all citizens to work towards bringing down the deaths related to COVID-19 by seeking timely treatment at government facilities.
Addressing the media following a review meeting with Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, senior officials and in-charges of COVID hospitals and care centres on COVID management, the Chief Minister said the government is concerned about the mortality rate due to the dreaded viral infection.
The state has recorded 315 deaths associated with COVID-19. On Monday, 14 deaths were registered, which was the highest count in a single day.
“The government alone cannot bring down the mortality rate related to COVID. There should be combined efforts by the government, medical team and the citizens of the state. If we all work together then the mortality rate can be brought to zero. And for this, the government needs active cooperation of the people to fight the pandemic,” he said.
Expressing concern that COVID patients are brought dead to hospitals, Sawant said it is the responsibility of the concerned family to get a test done of a person who develops symptoms like fever, cold etc and subsequently admit the person in a care facility for timely treatment. “One should not ignore even the minor symptoms. We have testing facilities at all the health centres across the state,” he asserted.
On shortage of beds in COVID hospitals, the Chief Minister said there was a shortage of beds in the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim only for a day due to excess of patients. “They were later shifted to other facilities or beds were provided to them,” he claimed.
Sawant also said there is no shortage of oxygen in Goa and asserted that no death has taken place in any hospital in the state due to shortage of oxygen. “There are two different agencies from Maharashtra and Karnataka that are supplying oxygen to Goa. Our health officials are in touch with them,” he said.
Earlier, during the review meeting, the Health Minister said the health department is in the process of setting up a robust mechanism to reach out to every patient under home isolation and has decided to induct multipurpose health workers, auxiliary nurse midwife and village-level female health workers.
“They will be posted round the clock at every PHC, CHC and UHC to reach out to the patients under home isolation. The free home isolation kit comprising of digital thermometer, oximeter, spirometer, hand sanitiser, N95 mask, gloves, vitamin C and D tablets and HCQ tablets will be given to patients under home isolation,” he said.
