letters to the editor

How trustworthy 

are our hospitals?

It's very shameful news to read that our hospitals are going to be untrustworthy in the sight of public. As it has been proved in Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi declaring a baby dead by the hospital's doctors.

Now who we should trust for better treatment? It is the only place where patients go to take medicine but what will they do in such negligence situation.

A doctor is born to help the people to treat them in a better way. A doctor should sacrifice himself for the nation as he does but sometimes, a few doctors defame  the whole medical department as in this case. We are proud of having such government which is serious in such matters. We salute the government for cancellation of hospital licence. 

In such serious matters, we should show our responsibilities beyond the political issues and disputes. If our hospitals are not trustworthy, where will the people go for good treatment?

MS Qasmi, Mumbai

Foreign policy

BJP’s foreign policy is showing massive cracks! First, it was the friendliest of all neighbours - Nepal - to veer towards China thanks to BJP trying to influence changes in Nepal’s Constitution. On Dec 9, 2017, Maldives has signed a MoU with China for free trade pact! Further, India has not helped at all in the Rohingyas’ imbroglio showing total ineptitude. This kind of clueless foreign policy is hurting India immensely.

And this is the same Govt. trying to fault Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, etc. for what they misconstrue as a faulty handling of the country’s affairs at Independence!

R Fernandes, Margao

Real life movies

We Goans need not watch movies in multiplexes any more as the entire Goa has been converted into a big multiplex. We can now watch movies of various subjects not in Reel life but in Real life. Real life movies like molestation, corruption, garbage menace, drugs and lately day light bank robbery. 

Non-Goans have shaped our Goa so well, thanks to all our Goan politicians and especially our government for entertaining such people who have made Goa their hub and haven for such atrocities. Robberies at gun point, what else can we ask for? One way I feel like admiring the guts of the dacoits for studying our Goan atmosphere and the peace-loving people. If only Goa had strict laws and patrolling cops, this ugly incident could have been averted. Unfortunately Goa is no more a place of peace and harmony. Politicians will keep barking and the poor cops will always be overloaded with work. Goa is not far from being the next UP. God save Goa, people open your eyes for the Government.

Gregory Afonso, Vasco

Concern about

healthcare

It is a matter of grave concern that India's healthcare spending is only 1.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, when the global average for countries is about 6 per cent. Majority of our population cannot afford as essential a thing as medicine! Thanks to lack of government's participation, involvement and control, health sector has, practically, been hijacked from the domain of lower and  middle class by the private players. Sky rocketing cost of medicines has forced 68 per cent of Indian citizens to live without access to medicines. Health for all still remains a distant dream. It is a pity that life saving treatments are linked with the capacity of our credit cards. As a result, majority of our population are forced to learn the art of dying without having medicines and treatments. 

Government hospitals need to outnumber private ones to give the latter a run for their money. In addition, medicines should be made affordable by controlling their profit margin. And last but not the least, India needs to catch up with the global average of healthcare spending in respect of GDP.

Sujit De, Kolkata

Lab on wheels

To conduct on-the-spot tests of the food served at eateries in the state, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has procured a laboratory vehicle which will function as a ‘food safety on wheels’. 

It is understood that Goa will be the first state in the country to undertake such an initiative and the report of the tests conducted on food items will be ready in 15 minutes. The state-of-the-art laboratory-on-wheels has reportedly been procured at a cost of Rs 41 lakhs using central fund. This is a positive initiative to keep a watch on eateries for hygienic food. This will keep the hotel management on their toes in order to prepare food in hygienic conditions as it will introduce the element of surprise checks. 

Fish happens to be the staple food of Goans. However many a times it is observed that fish which is not fresh and even stale fish is being sold in the market. It would be desirable for the authorities to also carry out surprise checks on the quality of fish that is being sold in the fish-market.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco