In the midst of the rising deaths in Goa, in Benaulim, a coastal village, the parish of St. John the Baptist Church Hall along with others rise up to the fight against COVID19 setting up a 30-bedded quarantine center.
The situation in Goa looks gloomy, and on May 10, 28 patients succumbed to COVID and died in the state’s largest hospital. Over the week before that, the state had recorded the highest positivity rate in the country, at 49.6 percent
In a swirling battle against the pandemic, the parish of St. John the Baptist Church Hall, along with Goa Dimensions, Business Community, with Toastmasters in Margao joined hands and launched the Benaulim Quarantine Center at the St. John the Baptist Hall.
Father Luico Dias, the parish priest said that the parish hall is open to everyone who is recovering, asymptomatic, or has mild symptoms, who needs a place of recovery and healing and welcome them to the center, however, needing a doctor’s letter of permission for such.
The President of Goa Dimensions, Custodio Fernandes also mentioned that the facility is to help those who have no facilities to self isolate themselves at home and this is to help keep their families safe, to stop the spread of the virus across the community.
This was after taking the required permissions and consents from the center. The planning was conducted out by civil engineers, donors, negotiators, medical experts, and doctors from the nearest PHC and South Goa District Hospital the Center.
This has been launched on 14th May 2021. Members of the Toastmasters Fraternity were involved to help with their efficient communication and organizational skills to plan the venue along with our engineers and medical professionals.
The local churches and many business hotels contributed in kind donating beds and other essential items to furnish the center. This has been designed for 2 phases, phase 1 is a self-managed quarantine center and the 2nd phase is to provide basic medical support with the collaboration of the nearest PHC and District Hospital.
It is a long fight ahead and St. John the Baptist Church Hall transforming into a quarantine center will go a long way in speeding the battle against the pandemic to save more lives and help the government to fight this war better.