MARGAO: Senior citizens in South Goa are expressing frustration and discontent with the services at the South Goa District Hospital, claiming inconvenience and difficulties in accessing the expected level of services, including issues with hospital security personnel. Some patients are calling for a dedicated mechanism for senior citizens, such as a separate queue at the Outpatient Department (OPD) like a registration counter.
In response to these concerns, Dr Rajendra Borkar, the Medical Superintendent of District Hospital, clarified that there are no deliberate attempts to inconvenience senior citizens. He emphasised that his office is actively working on plans to prioritise and enhance services for elderly patients in the OPD.
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Margao local Harsha Naik, 68, with health issues related to the kidneys, shared her unpleasant experience at the hospital. She alleged that despite waiting in a queue for several hours, the concerned doctor failed to attend to her health issues. “I visited the hospital in November, and the experience was very bad. I was not given proper attention despite waiting for several hours in a queue. What is more frustrating is that there is no preference given to senior citizens, and as a result, several patients who have crossed 60 and 70 are facing hardships,” she complained.
Rosario Fernandes, a relative of another patient from Salcete, also claimed that there are no proper services for senior citizens at the OPD.
Dr Borkar admitted that there was no separate queue for senior citizens at the OPD but mentioned that 70 to 80 percent of patients visiting the hospital are senior citizens. He explained that considering the high percentage of senior citizens, having a separate queue might not be practical. However, he assured that plans are being developed to improve services for senior citizens and reduce their hardships.
