Panaji, Sep 8 (IANS) As coronavirus cases keep on rising, the Goa government will soon add a third designated Covid-19 facility to treat symptomatic patients, even as the total confirmed cases in the coastal state crossed the 21,000-mark.
Goa, which is witnessing an unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases, currently has two designated facilities for symptomatic patients — the Employee State Insurance Hospital and Sub District Hospital in Ponda, both in South Goa district.
Covid-19 patients with severe comorbidities are also admitted to the Goa Medical College, the state’s top government hospital, near Panaji.
“After consultations with the Chief Minister, we shall be converting the South Goa District Hospital into a dedicated Covid Hospital with 400-500 bed capacity, in addition to the ESI and Sub-District Hospitals,” Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Tuesday.
Rane said that top government medical professionals had been asked to set up facilities at the new hospital.
The decision comes days after the Congress in Goa accused Rane of trying to hand over a section of the South Goa District Hospital to a private player on a public-private partnership basis.
Goa currently has 21,173 coronavirus cases, including 4,501 active ones. On Tuesday, 11 more Covid-19 patients died — the highest single-day fatalities yet.
–IANS
maya/tsb/bg