Removed as the incharge of the COVID ESI hospital Margao, Dr Ira Almeida has abandoned everything without proper handover, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said.
A note moved to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Tuesday evening, by Rane in reference to handover to be done by Dr Ira Almeida to the nodal officer GMC, Dr Uday Kakodkar at the COVID hospital, Margao.
”Dr Ira has apparently abandoned everything and no proper handover and transition is taking place,” Rane said in the note.
Rane requested the chief minister to please issue instructions so that Dr Ira Almeida is directed to do thorough and proper handover so that there is a smooth transition and GMC is able to get a total grip on the situation and take things forward.
“As discussed with the hon’ble chief minister, requesting to please issue directions through Secretary (Health) so that the necessary is done by Dr ira Almeida,” he wrote.
Not just that Dr Ira has been also replaced as the Superintendent of Hospicio hospital, Margao.
“Dr Ira Almeida is holding charge of Medical Superintendent of Hospital, Margao, on my instructions. Instead I would like to give charge of Medical Superintendent to Dr Deepa Correia, senior surgeon with immediate effect,” Rane said in another note to CM Sawant , which has been approved.
An order issued by Joint Secretary Health says the overall administration and working management of the COVID Hospital will have to be monitored by the Dean, Goa Medical College.
“Dr Jagdish Kakodkar, Professor and Head, Department of PSM, Goa Medical College shall be the dedicated administrator, who shall look after day-to-day administration of the COVID Hospital, daily media bulletin, accommodation of staff and any other duty necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the said COVID-19 Hospital,” the order said.
The order further says that a committee comprising of Dean, GMC, Director Health Services and Dr Vishwajit Faldessai senior orthopaedic surgeon & in charge of ESI Hospital, Margao, has been constituted for manpower deployment such as doctors, nurses and paramedics.
It adds a senior consultant from the medical team of the GMC shall be the nodal officer for the treatment protocols in the COVID Hospital, dashboard and liaising with the Collectors and Deputy Collectors.
Treatment Protocol Committee which will comprise of Dr Mohandas Pednekar, medical superintendent-cum Deputy Director, North Goa District Hospital, Mapusa, Dr Anar Khandeparkar, associate professor in Medicine, GMC, Dr Edward De Mello, senior physician, Hospicio Margao, Dr Vaibhav Gude, Dr Venkatesh Molio, Dr Oscar Rebello, Dr Rajeshwar Naik and Dr Virendra has been constituted who shall decide the protocols for treatment in consultation with the AIIMS Nodal Officer, Dr Guleria.
The order also says that the COVID positive death cremation committee shall be headed by the senior consultant of medicine as nodal officer and the Collectors/Deputy Collectors.
“A 50-bedded high dependency unit shall be created within the COVID Hospital with bedside ventilators under the supervision of the following: Dr Viraj Namshikar, Assistant Professor in Anaesthesiology, GMC, Dr Deependra C, Assistant Professor in Anaesthesiology, GMC, Dr Glenn, ESI Hospital, Margao, and Dr Gayatri Kalyanshetty, Senior Hospital, Margao.
For smooth functioning of the OT in the COVID Hospital, a committee has been constituted under Dr Francis Noronha, Professor in Surgery, GMC, Dr Ajit Nagarsekar, Associate Professor in Obst & Gyn, GMC, Dr Vishwajit Faldesai, senior orthopaedic surgeon, ESI Hospital, Margao Dr Pabitra Ghoshal, assistant professor in anaesthesiology, GMC, Dr Gauresh Vargaonkar, lecturer in surgery, GMC.
For COVID positive patients admitted with co-morbidities, they shall be treated by the super speciality teams such as cardiology, oncology neurology, nephrology, neuro-surgery, urology etc, from GMC on call.
The order says the manpower of senior residents to be increased under the Department of Medicine; anesthesia and pulmonary medicine by 5 residents each.
The biomedical waste, nutrition and diet of patients, laundry services, hand patient handling, which is very important and housekeeping to be outsourced to agencies which are already working in GMC such as Sodexo, Eco Clean, Scoop Oxygen etc, and should function 24×7.
The details with regard to above shall be sought from the Dean, GMC for obtaining approval of the Finance Department.
A Nodal Officer shall be appointed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation for the day-to-day administration of in house maintenance work at the COVID Hospital.
