Goa govt starts probe in COVID-19 testing of doctor

Panaji, Jun 9 () The Goa government on Tuesday initiated a high-level inquiry into an episode where a doctor, who had treated a family linked to the spread of COVID-19 in Vasco town, tested positive for the infection days after his test result had come out negative, a senior official said.

Health Secretary Neela Mohanan told reporters here that the private doctor had tested negative for the infection on Wednesday last week, but his result came positive on Tuesday (June 9) when he was re-tested.

The physician had treated a coronavirus-hit family which has been linked to the spike in COVID-19 cases in the Mangor Hill area of Vasco town in South Goa. The area has been notified as a containment zone.

Mohanan said state authorities have started a high- level investigation to ascertain how the doctor tested negative during the initial test.

After his (first) testing, the doctor was kept in a quarantine facility (as a precaution), she said.

Five members of the family from Mangor Hill had tested positive for the infection (there's were first cases in the area) following which more cases were reported from the locality.

Mohanan said it was a local transmission and not community transmission.

Goa has reported more than 300 COVID-19 positive cases so far, a majority of which were linked to Mangor Hill in Vasco.

Mohanan said along with her, senior officers, including Chief Secretary Parimal Rai and Inspector General of Police Jaspal Singh, visited Mangor Hill on Tuesday.

We interacted with the people in the containment zone. No one is allowed to leave the containment zone, where essentials are being supplied, she said.

The health secretary said working hours of the Out Patient Department (OPD) facility set up for the people of Mangor Hill has been extended from two hours earlier to three hours now every day. RPS RSY RSY