Following the death of a third doctor in Goa due to COVID-19, Indian Medical Association state chapter on September 30 urged the government to prioritise treatment of medical professionals.

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"We all members are definitely pained at the unfortunate lapses in the treatment offered to Dr Mario Godinho, including failure of logistics, non-availability of bed, inadequate oxygen supply, and other impediments," Goa IMA President Dr Samuel S said in a statement. "We would like the Goa government to look into this matter seriously so that such incidents are not repeated. We would appreciate if the government prioritises treatment to medical professionals from government and private sectors to safeguard their health in case of any eventuality," the IMA chief said.

Godinho, who had contracted COVID-19, reportedly was unable to avail of a hospital bed and other facilities in time, which eventually led to his death on September 26. Paucity of beds in designated COVID-19 hospitals has been an area of major concern for authorities in the state, which is in the middle of a spike in viral disease. "We urge the government to improve and update the protocols for admissions, handling and management of symptomatic COVID-19 patients. We urge the government to maintain transparency in procedures and improve the quality of healthcare services," the Goa IMA chief said.

Samuel also called for the setting up of a real-time dashboard which can inform the people about availability of vacant beds in designated facilities. More than two percent of Goa's 1.5 million population has already tested positive for coronavirus. Of the total 32,396 positive cases, 4,917 are still active. In all, 407 persons have so far died of COVID-19 in Goa.