Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: With just a few weeks left for the first meeting of the G20 Summit in Goa, the state government is looking at all avenues to ensure prevention and preparedness against health emergencies and security arrangements. Sanjit Rodrigues, Secretary Protocol & Nodal Officer – G20, Goa State, points out that preparation for the upcoming meetings are going on in full swing with the government exploring every aspect of management. “Across Goa, everything is being spruced up from the airports to the route to be covered during the G20 meetings. We are adding greenery and beautifying the stretches. We are trying to give the delegates a comfortable stay here through experiences, dinners and cultural programmes,” he said.
The health department has planned everything from providing medical cover to delegates to having a dedicated team at all venues. “We’re ready with both a medical cover for the delegates as well as designated teams at the venues and airports,” says Dr Kedar Raikar, Nodal Officer Ayushman Bharat, Digital India, DHS, who is currently holding the position of OSD (Health) – G20.
The medical cover will include life savers ambulance services, in addition to other medical facilities. Doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff from Goa Medical College, the Directorate of Health Services and the EMRI 108 will be trained and deployed for these meetings to provide additional support.
“The Goa Medical College and Hospital will be used to cater to surgical and medical emergencies as well as the treatment and evaluation of patients. We have identified a dedicated ward along with an ICU facility for this purpose,” says Dr Raikar. Additionally, the health department is also ready to effectively address other contagious and infectious illnesses at the airport and other venues.
In the technologically advancing age, the health department has also made some notable changes in digital health and preparedness in Goa which will be showcased to the visiting delegates. “Under the health management systems, we are showcasing PHC Corlim for switching from offline to online mode of treatment. The hospital provides online services right from the registration counter to the patient getting lab investigated,” Dr Raikar says.
The delegates will also be able to explore the dialysis centres at the health and wellness centres, emergency care centres, and elderly care centres, as well as telemedicine, teleconsultation and OPDs at the PHC Corlim, PHC Dharbandora and PHC Aldona. New initiatives and the state’s efforts towards going digital and improving treatment plans will be showcased during the course of the meetings in Goa.
This comes as part of the nationwide rollout of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) which was announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on September 27, 2021. The mission is aimed at developing the digital health infrastructure of the country and making data sharing easier across different stakeholders of the health system.
On the security front, Jaspal Singh, Goa Director General of Police (DGP), has assured that the department will follow all security and safety measures during the stay of the visiting delegates in Goa.
Similarly, Omvir Singh Bishnoi, IPS, Goa Inspector General of Police, Nodal Officer (Security) – G20, stated that all security arrangements will be ensured promptly and will be in place before the planned meetings. “We have already conducted an interdepartmental security coordination meeting under the DGP of the state wherein all departments were roped in, and the final list was discussed. I have also conducted a meeting with managerial meetings with the staff of hotels and airports. The venue commander and two officers have been deputed as venue commanders for both airports. We will have a joint security review with all security agencies in the following week. The final meeting with all the stakeholders will be held on April 13 to find out all the details for the event and the transportation of the delegates.
As part of the eeighthG20 Summit to be held in Goa starting in April, two ministerial and six other meetings will be held in the state spread across the next four months. The first meeting in Goa is scheduled to be held from April 17-19 at Grand Hyatt, Bambolim-Goa and will have in attendance international health officials and delegates for the 2nd Health Working Group Meeting.
The Group of Twenty or G20, is the premier forum for international cooperation comprising the world’s most-powerful 19 economies and the EU. The G20 group was established with the goal of solving major global issues which are related to the stability of International Finance, the international economy, migration due to changes in climatic conditions, and sustainable development. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, United States of America, and the European Union (EU) form the G20 group. Representatives from guest countries and international organisations have also been invited to attend the Summit.
