When help arrived too late
The tragic death of a pedestrian in a road mishap at Guirim has once again exposed glaring gaps in our emergency medical response system. According to reports, the victim lay injured on the road for nearly one and a half hours while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. The “golden hour,” which is a well-established concept in trauma care, refers to the first sixty minutes after an injury, during which prompt medical treatment significantly improves survival chances. When emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes, severe accidents, or breathing difficulties occur, the human body can deteriorate rapidly. A fast-arriving ambulance ensures that trained medical professionals can begin life-saving treatment immediately, even before the patient reaches the hospital. Early interventions like CPR, oxygen support, or bleeding control greatly increase survival chances. Incidentally ambulance services focus on how fast ambulances are driven with sirens blaring once a patient is inside. Besides speed, what truly matters is the response time, which is how quickly an ambulance reaches the victim after a distress call is made. The fact that an injured person was left waiting on the road for one and half hours points to systemic failures. This incident underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive audit of ambulance services, particularly focusing on response time. Strengthening ambulance networks, improving coordination with police and local hospitals, using technology such as GPS tracking, and setting strict response-time benchmarks are steps that need to be taken. The death of the pedestrian in Guirim should not fade into yet another statistic. It should compel urgent reforms in emergency response services. A quick response time of ambulance services is a cornerstone of effective emergency healthcare.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Goan icon honoured
A very proud moment for our Goa that the renowned Mumbai based pediatrician Dr Armida Fernandes has been bestowed the 2026 Padma Shri Award by the Government of India. A well-deserved meritorious honour for an outstanding Goan. Dr Armida is the daughter of the exceptional educationist late Prof Armando Menezes, hailing from our island of Divar. Dr Armida is the wife of distinguished dermatologist late Dr Rui Fernandes. India honours her with a well-deserved recognition for her pioneering work in the field of neonatal medicine in India. She set up the first human milk bank in Asia and is instrumental in reducing infant mortality from 70% to 12%. Her concern and empathy goes far beyond the normal. Always caring for the impoverished and vulnerable. May God bless our living saint and give her the strength to carry forward her magnanimous mission.
Aires Rodrigues, London
Bridge vanishes overnight
It is no more a shock to read that another iron bridge vanished, this time in Korba town of Chhattisgarh. It was used by the residents till 11 pm of January 16 but by early morning there were no signs of it. The small iron bridge spanned over a canal and was missing – screws, bolts and girders. The thieves, led allegedly by a scrap dealer, used gas cutters to dismantle the 40-year bridge. Complaints are lodged and scrapyards are being searched. In April 2022, a 40-year-old steel bridge of 500 tonne was taken apart at midnight in Rohtas District (Bihar). Surprising that in the cases, the locals nor any passers-by noticed the nocturnal activities. Or did they assume that the govt/contractor’s engineers were working diligently through the night? We should admire the steely resolutions of the thieves. The armed forces construct and deconstruct steel bridges in double quick time during wars and emergencies.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Bangladesh loses out
Bangladesh’s game of hide-and-seek, ostensibly citing security concerns, failed to impress the International Cricket Council. The ICC gave the Bangladesh Cricket Board ample time to resolve the issue amicably, but with no breakthrough forthcoming, Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland for the cricketing extravaganza. The BCB’s imposition of strange and impractical conditions was summarily rejected by the ICC. It is beyond doubt that Bangladesh cricket has emerged as the biggest loser in this entire imbroglio. By most accounts, Bangladesh is a stronger side than Scotland, with several players enjoying considerable popularity in India. The team had genuine potential to perform well, underpinned by the fighting spirit Bangladeshi cricketers are known for. More significantly, with India unlikely to engage in any bilateral series against Bangladesh in the foreseeable future, this episode could prove a body blow—not just to Bangladesh cricket as an institution, but to its talented players as well.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
