Goa: Congress demands judicial probe into deaths at COVID isolation wards

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar on Tuesday said that the Goa government should order a judicial probe into the deaths in the COVID-19 isolation wards at Goa Medical College (GMC). He said that the Goa government should stop the farce of internal enquiry on the death of two-time Congress MLA Jitendra Deshprabhu and immediately initiate judicial probe by a retired judge to bring out the truth behind mysterious deaths in COVID isolation wards along with other aspects.

"Nothing has changed in GMC as another death was reported there yesterday which was similar to Jitendra Deshprabhu's death. The government must immediately order impartial judicial enquiry to investigate the mysterious deaths of some patients in the COVID-19 isolation ward since lockdown was announced. How GMC can make enquires about itself?" questioned Chodankar.

He further said that the state government should also stop any attempts being made to save a doctor related to a BJP leader's family who is facing inquiry for negligence in duty.

"The impartial inquiry will give justice to the common man who suffers at GMC and other government hospitals. Our purpose is to have a better system in place at GMC and other government hospitals," the GPCC President said.

"The Chief Minister and the Health Minister must come clean on whether all the protocols and globally laid down procedures on the death of COVID-19 suspects had been conducted in Goa," he added.

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Meanwhile, Goa has been tagged a green zone as it currently does not have any active COVID-19 cases. CM Pramod Sawant said that some sectors were facing a labour shortage as several migrants stranded in the lockdown had gone back to their native states, and asked such firms to employ locals to overcome the shortfall.

Sawant, who was interacting with people during a Facebook live session, said the coastal state would welcome tourists once the COVID-19 situation normalises nationally. He said Goa would have it own standard operating procedure to screen tourists as and when they arrive.

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(With Inputs from Agencies)