13 more Covid-19 patients die at top Goa hospital; toll reaches 75 in four days

The Goa government had told the HC on Thursday that during the process of attaching the oxygen manifold there was some interruption

The spectre of death loomed large for the fourth day in a row in the Covid wards of Goa's premier government hospital, the Goa Medical College, with 15 patients succumbing due to oxygen shortage in the early hours of Friday.

The death toll at the apex health facility over the last four days has now reached 75, with nearly all the patients dying between 2 am and 6 am due to the inability of the health administration to provide them with an uninterrupted oxygen supply during the early hours.

The Opposition on Friday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, even as Goa governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari conducted a virtual review of the Covid situation in the state.

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"The candid admission that there is a deficit of oxygen supply by the BJP government in Goa shows that it is irresponsible, insensitive and run by an incompetent and defective Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Viswajit Rane. It is tragic that so many innocent lives were lost just because of a tussle between CM and HM over corruption at a time of monumental health crisis," state Congress president Girish Chodankar said.

Chodankar was referring to the running feud between Rane and Sawant over control of Goa's Covid management apparatus, in which Union Home Minister Amit Shah had to intervene telephonically on Thursday, to sort out differences between the top two Ministers.

Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat also demanded that the kin of the deceased should be compensated by the Goa government, which he said was responsible for the shoddy treatment.

"With @BJP4Goa Government clearly admitting of Deaths in GMC due to gross negligence, @goacm must own the responsibility & immediately announce substantial compensation to the families of those patients who were murdered by Government apathy & blunder. @INCGoa #OxygenCrisis," he tweeted.

The deaths have occurred, despite the severe admonition of the state government by the Bombay High Court, which has made attempts to supervise and streamline oxygen management at the top hospital.

In wake of the deaths, the Goa government has appointed a committee headed by Director of the Indian Institute of Technology-Goa Dr BK Mishra to suggest measures for initiating correctives to the oxygen management systems at the premier institute.

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Another Opposition MLA Vijai Sardesai said that if the Bombay High Court has to intervene to set issues like oxygen supply right, then the Goa government has simply failed in its duties.

"There is a complete collapse of governance. In spite of HC intervention, deaths are happening at this dark hour. More than the government, the HC should rule Goa, because the government is doing nothing other than photo ops and filing cases against those who expose them," Sardesai claimed.

Amid the increasing death count, Goa Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari also conducted a virtual meeting with the Chief Minister and Health Minister and updated himself about the steps taken by the government to manage the Covid situation.

"Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari today reviewed the Covid-19 situation in Goa during his meeting with Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane held online. The Governor enquired about vaccination planning, oxygen supply, awareness, testing, involvement of university students and volunteers and other relevant issues," the Governor's House tweeted.

So far, 1,998 persons have died in Goa due to Covid-19 related complications since last year. Friday's cumulative Covid death count in Goa's hospitals stands at 61.