About 500 Russians faced medical emergencies in Goa: LDM

Panaji, May 5: About 500 Russians holidaying in Goa during current tourist season have faced medical emergencies during their stay here, a senior official said adding that 18 cases were near fatal in nature.

Liga of Defence and medical assistance (LDM), a cashless insurance initiative of the Russian parliament, attended to 486 Russian tourists in Goa who warranted emergency medical attention during their vacations here.

LDM's legal adviser in Goa, Vikram Varma, said that there have been a number of cases where Russian tourists suffered near fatal injuries due to accidents.

"But due to the timely and professional assistance of the team at LDM Goa, about 18 lives were saved," he said.

They were referred to private hospitals where they were attended to by the team of medical experts.

The tourist season 2011-12 in Goa is nearing end as the last chartered flight to Russia is expected to fly out from state's Dabolim airport mid-May.

Moscow-based LDM is an initiative of the Russian Parliament to provide assistance to Russian citizens abroad as well as foreign citizens in Russia.

The facility, which is a cashless medical insurance, was extended to the state of Goa from this season onwards.

Varma said that the volume of Russian tourists coming to Goa every year is increasing adding "We hope that adequate efforts are made by the industry and the authorities to maintain this flow of tourists from Russia.

As per the state government figures, Russians amount to the second highest number of foreigners after Britishers arriving in Goa, known for its picturesque beaches.

PTI