Increased staff for swab collection

Panaji: Four counters and 40 staff odd was deployed at North Goa district hospital on Friday for swab collection after problems arose there as the number of travellers increased.

Health secretary Nila Mohanan said the counters have been increased. “We are doing our best to scale up manpower and meet increasing demand,” she said at a press conference.

She said the problem arose as about 150 passengers came after 5 pm on Thursday, and naturally there was a built up.

“But moment we got to know about the problem, the collector and directorate of health services co-ordinated and we had some people shifted to Ponda sub district hospital and South Goa district hospital,” she said.

She said 571 people alone came from Patradevi checkpost on Thursday. On Friday, too, there was a similar surge in arrivals. “We are responding to the situation as and when it develops,” she said

She said the online system has been updated to send tests results to travellers who were tested for Covid-19. “We have started sending SMSs. Today, 700 to 800 SMSs have been sent,” she said.