Dr Edwin Gomes is currently leading the fight against COVID-19 with his staff at the ESI Hospital in Margao. He completed his MD in medicine and Therapeutics from Bombay University and later joined Hospicio, Margao. His liking for teaching led him to join the Goa Medical College in 1991 and his dream is to develop Geriatric medicine. Business Goa interviews Dr Edwin in his capacity as the COVID-19 frontline warrior.
Doctor, could you please, in brief, tell us about your professional background?
I’m the eldest in the family of three brothers and I still remember that in my 12th standard I had completed my theory portion by November, and I was practicing Agarwal Courses which used to come as small bi-monthly books from Mumbai.
I wanted to be an IIT engineer, maybe in aeronautics, but by then my mother wanted me to be a doctor and so I joined MBBS at GMC in 1979.
I completed my MBBS in 1983, standing first in Medicine and OBG, and second in Surgery in Goa. In fact I stood second in Bombay in OBG.
Though I wanted to join OBG, my gurus Dr. N. G. K. Sharma and Dr. N. G. Dubhashi, sort of attracted me to the Department of Medicine.
Later after finishing my MD in Medicine and Therapeutics through Bombay University in 1988, and my senior residency in 1991, I joined Hospicio, Margao as a junior physician.
However the liking for teaching made me join Goa Medical College on 19th September 1991, and from then on Goa Medical College has been my first wife as I often say to my wife.
I had a liking for lifestyle diseases, Diabetes and Mellitus, and my final dream is to develop Geriatric Medicine. Treating COVID 19 patients came as a bonus.
Everyone knows your capabilities and expertise, but according to you, what is that one thing that makes you the best person for the COVID19 Champion tag?
This statement I beg to differ. I would like to place on record that I did do a bit of social service by seeing patients in Ribander, but the moment some of the doctor friends saw my success, they went and complained to the higher authorities, who were kind enough to ask me to stop.
I was accused of leaking the final MBBS papers to all the students in the final year; and although the authorities could not find any fault, they have failed to reinstate me as a Goa University examiner.
I have started once a week geriatric OPD on every Saturday at Goa Medical College on an appointment basis and done the work of creating the syllabus and the structure of the department so as to get two MD seats in geriatric medicine, but till now there is no sign of the ward and so no sign of the course.
CoVID 19 came to Goa and as no one wanted to take up the challenge, I along with a few first year students started the suspect CoVID 19 ward in ward 113 at Goa Medical College.
But after a disrespectful meeting by the GARD members and a few consultants in lecture hall No 4 on 21st of March 2020, a day when my own students insulted me, I was lucky to secure the backing of the Dean, Dr Shivanand Bandekar; Health Minister, Vishwajeet Rane; Health Secretary, Nila Mohanan (who has been my backbone); Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, and the Chief Secretary, Parimal Rai. It is because of them that we could move to ESI and turn it into a real state-of-the-art CoVID 19 Hospital with all the SOPs in place. Thanks also to careful planning by Dr Ira Almeida, Dr Deepa Correia-Afonso, and the staff of ESI.
I must place on record, my four hands have been the four first year residents who have sacrificed everything and helped me in this work.
As the COVID19 Champion in Goa, what is your take on the current status of Goa’s virus statistics?
Goa is doing well and although we have to live with CoVID 19, we know enough and have our protocols in place to help any patient suspected or having CoVID 19.
After Mid July, if we put our suspect CoVID 19 ward, ward 113 in place with all the SOPs written, Goa will do well.
If I were to ask you the top strengths of the medical system in Goa, and the top weaknesses, what would you say?
The medical doctors of Goa, from a topmost consultant, to a medical officer in the health centre has a lot of clinical skills and rely on their clinical achievement and also on their reports. Goa, thanks to the Health Minister, has a requirement of 30 credit points per doctor to renew his / her license every five years.
The medical system has shown its unity in managing diabetes along the state from 1998 onwards and, now the STEMI program in coronary artery disease.
Even in maternal mortality and infant mortality, we are doing well.
Monsoons see the Directorate of Health Services in action to prevent malaria and dengue.
Why these doctors got scared of CoVID 19 is a question I cannot understand, even till today!
Do we (Goa) have the right equipment and enough of this right equipment to handle the number of people who will be entering Goa over the next few weeks and months?
To this I would say yes. We are fully equipped to handle 200 patients. And if the private hospitals join hands with us, we can handle around 350 to 400.
What about staff? Do we have enough staff? And is this staff adequately trained and focused?
We do have enough staff. They all are well motivated (specially at ESI) and if anyone wants to get trained they could come and get trained. Some of the patients who are cured also wish to come and help us and as they have high antibodies they will have less fear.
How strong are the protocols for COVID 19 recoveries in the state?
We have a plan and fortunately everything in Goa at ESI/CoVID 19 is going as per plan. Why? I do not know. All I can say we have protocols in place. Good teams from GMC and ESI.
And blessings from the almighty.
What would you say are the precautionary measures that we have to follow as lay people?
Face Mask, social distancing and hand wash. If anyone gets fever with respiratory symptoms, meet a doctor from the health services. We have Truenat services which will give us results in 3 to 4 hours.
What are some of the myths surrounding this virus that you may like to debunk for the benefit of the people who are victims of such incorrect beliefs?
There are no myths now.We know enough to identify the correct news and see which is fake like the recent controversy on HCQ.
There’s an unreal degree of social stigma about this virus, and that is causing a lot of unpleasant experiences for people who are infected. Can you share some reassurance regarding this?
Public should not treat frontline workers as outcasts. We all take enough precaution so as to not get the disease. And specially, do not treat the cured patients as outcasts as they have a lot of immunity and will not get a re-infection.
What is your opinion about opening up the economic activities at this current stage?
There is enough literature on how to open a lockdown and we should follow that protocol.
India is blessed with really top class IAS officers and Secretaries in the government office, who read a lot. They are the best people to take a call on these matters.
In general, what is your message to the people of Goa, in your capacity as the COVID19 Champion?
Do not get scared of CoVID 19. There will be a day when we will have to live with the disease. Treatment protocols are in place. It is still not the end of the world. I’m not the CoVID 19 champion. The true champions are the Chief Minister, Health Minister, The two most important secretaries, the Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary, the Collectors, the alert Goa Police Force, the Medical Superintendent of ESIS, Dr Ira, Dr Deepa and Dr Pooja who showed us the importance of briefing and de briefing. The Dean of Goa Medical College. The senior doctors, the medical officers and nurses of ESIS.The security guards, the MTS, the housekeeping, and the other technical staff. The 108 ambulance and the ESI ambulance staff. The cook and dietician, the staff I forgot to mention from ESI, The various staff in all the residencies, my four junior residents, the staff of GMC and my friend Dr. Utkarsh Betodkar
