With Goa’s positivity rate going through the roof, crossing 50% on Thursday evening just as a weekend lockdown introduced by the Goa government comes into effect, doctors under the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have called on the Goa government to extend the lockdown-like guidelines for another two weeks or until the positivity rate comes down to around 10%, HT has learnt.
“[The] IMA would be in favour of a similar lockdown for at least 15 days from Monday, May 3, 2021, or till the positivity rate comes down from the existing 50% to 10%. Healthcare will be able to manage with a lower positivity rate to decrease mortality,” a statement issued by the IMA state president Dr Vinayak Buvaji, said.
The doctors have said such a move would decrease the tremendous workload on the already compromised health system to some extent at both private as well as government establishments.
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The IMA said that last year’s lockdown did not prove to be detrimental to normal living and was a “calculated” measure.
At present, Goa has 20,898 active Covid-19 cases, while 1,146 people have died in the state after contracting the disease. The state has been recording more than 3,000 fresh cases each day for the last few days while more than two dozen people are succumbing to the disease daily.
The Goa government announced a three-day lockdown over the weekend with an exception to all essentials services until Monday. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has however ruled out extending the lockdown for now.
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“I want to assure the people of the state that there will definitely not be an extension in the lockdown for now,” Sawant told the media on Friday. Migrant workers had begun to leave the state en masse after the announcement of the lockdown fearing a repeat of last year in which the harsh lockdown and lack of transport to their hometowns left many stranded and hungry.
On Thursday evening, Goa recorded 3,019 fresh Covid cases of the 5,910 tests conducted, throwing up a positivity rate of 51% – the highest the state has recorded till date.
The state’s Covid-19 facilities have already run out of beds leaving patients having to wait several hours before beds are made available. Hospital wards are having to deal with more patients than they have the capacity for with patients having to sleep on stretchers and chairs.
The Goa Medical College, the state’s premier medical institute has converted its examination hall into a covid ward to help accommodate additional 150 beds.
“Even on this day, there are beds available. People should not panic. We are augmenting facilities and in the next four days, another 400 oxygen beds will be made available including an ICU with 150 beds,” CM Sawant said.
