Panaji, Aug 21 (IANS): In the midst of rising coronavirus cases, Goa is grappling with an acute shortage of medical personnel, especially trained nurses, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Friday.

While addressing the media here, Rane said that the state health ministry has been trying to recruit more trained nurses and shuffle existing senior nurses posted at other healthcare centres to the Goa Medical College, the state's biggest government-run medical facility where Covid-19 patients in critical condition are being treated.

"We are facing a staff shortage. Nurses who are trained to function in the Intensive Care Units are difficult to recruit," Rane said.

The Goa Health Ministry's efforts to contain the pandemic has hit a roadblock with nearly two dozen doctors and a similar number of nurses testing positive for Covid-10 recently.

Rane said that the effort of the Health Ministry was to ensure that there is at least one nurse per three to four beds.

"That is the ratio we are trying to achieve for proper and efficient care of Covid patients," Rane said.

The Health Minister also expressed concern about the death of eight Covid-19 patients within 24 hours on Thursday.

"Our objective continues to be to cut down the deaths of Covid patients," Rane said.

Goa's total tally of confirmed cases has crossed 13,000 while 126 persons have died after testing positive.