TEAM HERALD
PONDA: A team from the NGO Generation Next visited Ponda Sub District Hospital, following complaints of shortage of doctors in the hospital.
The Generation Next team members decided to follow-up on the issue with their counterparts all over the State and will take up the issue of shortage of doctors in various hospitals.
Denouncing GMC as a mere factory generating doctors, the Generation Next members told reporters that most doctors graduating from the GMC have been leaving Goa for further studies and employment.
They insisted that the government should not only attract them with good salaries, but should undertake a bond from them so that they would serve in government health centres in Goa for some time.
“What is the use of government spending crores of rupees on their education at the GMC,” questioned Durgadas Kamath, adding that the government is not bothered to fill the vacancies in government hospitals.
Claiming that the needs at least 14 doctors, Kamath added that there are only five doctors presently at the hospital. “The Ponda hospital needs to keep the OPD open at least till 7 pm, but due to a shortage of doctors it closes at 4 pm. Rural health centres at Marcaim also lack ambulance and primary health facilities. Many other health centres are dependent on Sub District Hospital at Ponda, but patients have to travel to the GMC,” Kamath added.
