New 250-bed Covid-19 facility in Goa to start functioning from Sept 19

A 250-bed COVID-19 facility will

start operating at the South Goa district hospital from September 19, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said.

As of now, COVID-19 patients in the state are being treated at the ESI Hospital in Margao (South Goa), the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near Panaji (North Goa) and the Sub-District Hospital in Ponda (South Goa).

In the wake of rise in number of COVID-19 cases in the coastal state, the new facility at the South Goa district hospital in Mrago would be made functional partially, Rane told reporters on Saturday after visiting the facility.

"We shall start operations from next Saturday with 250 beds initially in keeping with our protocols and standard operating procedures, and later extend the facility to its full capacity of 556 beds in a phased manner," he said.

Till Saturday, Goa reported 24,185 COVID-19 cases and 286 deaths due to the disease. As of now, there are 5,323 active cases in the state, as per official figures.