The latest Union budget envisages more Delhi-type AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in the country – almost one in each state, including Goa. Although the intention seems laudable, in view of the dismal health scenario in the country, it’s time to think before we take a leap in the dark.
While it’s true that the Delhi AIIMS was once India’s showpiece, today it is plagued by many ills. Dipankar Gupta, Director of the Centre for Public Affairs at the Shivdar University, lists some of the problems:-
1. Political interference, poor working conditions and lack of adequate research funding have brought down the stature of this once proud institution.
2. Few want to serve in it once they have milked in their degrees. 53 per cent of AIIMS graduates leave the country permanently.
3. The AIIMS is overloaded. 7000 sick patients visit the OPD daily while hundreds lie in the open hoping for a look-in and a doctor’s attention.
4. A professor at the AIIMS, at the top of the heap, earns a basic salary of Rs. 51,600 while in the corporate sector an ordinary hand could get thrice this amount.
5. There are a huge number of vacancies in the AIIMS today and the institution is in search of doctors.
Therefore, it is imperative that the authorities tidy up Delhi’s AIIMS before building many more across India.
Dr. Francisco Colaço, Margao
Harsh reality
Recently, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan faced severe criticism for his remark that sex education should be banned in schools. His views were rightly dismissed as that of a person with medieval mindset.
As trends suggest, our young generation carry wrong and warped notions about sex. Internet has exposed the youth to vast amounts of information.
By closing our eyes to reality and deluding ourselves that our children are innocent angels, we are only fooling ourselves.
The youth want to know about sex and they need proper guidance if they are not to go astray. In this context, sex education has to be brought to the portals of schools. Not imparting sex education in a dignified manner is the root cause of sex-related crimes by the youth.
Irineu Gonsalves, Verna
CM responsible
It is shocking to read about the plight of the mining dependents due to closure of mines. Chief Ministe Manohar Parikar is very much responsible for this. He may put the blame on the Congress party. He had promised to solve the issue and start mining soon after the formation of BJP government at the centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some of the mining dependents have stated that they were compelled to vote for BJP owing to the promise of the chief minister. Now they regret for their mistakes. The present chief minister is not the same person, when he was the opposition leader. He haas forgotten everything what was spoken by him then. He can fool the Goans at one time but he cannot fool us at all the time.
Marcos Alemao, Varca
True colours
I take strong objection to the statement made by BJP senior leader Dr Subramaniam Swamy that the church in Goa loves everyone except HIV kids”. It shows his ignorance or his true communal nature. The church in Goa has never made an issue about these kids. In fact the church is trying to clear that misunderstanding.
There are so many instances that church in Goa keeps collecting money from all its parishes and send it to the needy people may be for sake of education , health or to the people effected by natural calamities. The church never expects any favours for the good work it is doing for all the communities.
I demand Swamy apologize to the church of Goa. Day by day the BJP leaders are showing their true communal colours.
Joao George Fernandes, Navelim,
Migrant menace
With reference to the letter of Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco in Herald (dated 19/07/14) where he suggests that the Goa government should bear the entire cost of treating those living below the poverty line in GMC, I fully agree with the suggestion but it should be only for those producing a ration card (BPL) of Goa government at the time of admission. I’ve noticed that more than half the patients come from huge states of Karnataka and Maharashtra to avail free facilities in Goa.
Some of the migrants who never used a toilet in their life are admitted in the GMC free.
Jose de Melo, Panjim
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