Congress' Girish Chodankar demands judicial probe into ‘mysterious deaths’ at Goa Medical College's COVID-19 isolation wards

Panaji: 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).

"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," Chodankar said in a release.

File image of Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar. Image courtesy: Twitter/@girishgoa

"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.

"GMC authorities ought to explain as to why so many people with respiratory illness are mysteriously dying soon after they are brought to GMC and should spell out the treatment and services they are offering to such patients," he said.