GMCH ensures hygiene, proper food for coronavirus suspects

While frontline health workers are busy lodging suspected coronavirus patients at the Goa Medical College and Hospital''s isolation ward, a huge support team has been working to keep the ward clean and hygienic and serving food to patients in disposable containers.

The state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near here in North Goa district has an isolation ward where suspected coronavirus patients are kept, while those testing positive are lodged at a special hospital in Margao town of South Goa district.

The GMCH has hired services of a private company to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in its premises.

Extra precaution is taken in the isolation ward as far as cleanliness is concerned. The ward is cleaned every one hour by following a special cleanliness protocol, said Sneha Tulaskar, the manager of the private company.

"The cleaning of the isolation ward is done through three bucket system - first by hot water, then by liquid soap and then using sodium hypochlorite. The entire floor, glasses, windows and doors are cleaned meticulously," she said.

The linen used in the isolation ward is washed separately at 90 degree Celsius in a machine, Tulaskar said.

Cleanliness workers are provided the personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent them from catching the infection, and the company has been giving Vitamin-C tablets to its staff deployed at the GMCH isolation ward, she said.

While nearly 240 employees of the company are engaged in maintaining cleanliness of the entire hospital complex, a special squad is deployed at the isolation ward.

Tulaskar said the company initially faced difficulties in convincing its staff to work at the GMCH isolation ward.

"But, we gave them detailed information about COVID-19 and also precautions to be taken. Now they are comfortable working there," she added.

Another private company has been running the hospital''s canteen and providing food to patients are per the medical staff''s instructions, a senior GMCH official said.

"They are serving food to patients in the isolation ward in disposable containers and the trolley used to carry the food is exclusive to that ward, he said.